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Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria most often infect the upper airway (nose and throat) and the skin. When the bacteria make diphtheria toxin, the infection is called diphtheria.
- Respiratory diphtheria is very serious.
- Skin infections rarely cause severe problems.
If you think you or someone you love has diphtheria, talk to a health care provider.
Symptoms
Symptoms usually appear 2 to 5 days after exposure — and some infected people have none.
A child's neck swollen by diphtheria infection. CDC
Respiratory diphtheria
- mild fever;
- sore throat;
- swollen glands in the neck;
- weakness;
- a pseudomembrane in the nose or throat.
The pseudomembrane is diphtheria's hallmark. Toxin-making bacteria kill healthy tissue in the airway, and a thick, gray coating of dead tissue builds up in the nose and throat — making it very hard to breathe and swallow.
Skin infection
Skin wounds can hold many kinds of bacteria, C. diphtheriae among them. Signs can include:
- an open sore or ulcer with a clear edge;
- pain, redness and swelling;
- a rash with scaling or peeling skin.
Get medical care right away if you or your child has symptoms and has been exposed to someone with diphtheria.
Complications
| Respiratory diphtheria | airway blockage can be deadly. If the toxin gets into the bloodstream, it can kill tissue in other organs, causing kidney failure, myocarditis (damage to the heart muscle) and polyneuropathy (nerve damage). Even with treatment, about 1 in 10 people die; without treatment, up to half |
| Skin infection | the wound heals slowly, but complications, severe disease and death are rare |
Sources
Based on "Diphtheria Symptoms and Complications," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licença: CC0 1.0 (domínio público) · Adaptado de www.cdc.gov
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