How Does An Outbreak Of Diphtheria Affect Humans?

Diphtheria, derived from the Greek word dipthera meaning a 'pair of leather scrolls', is the name of a disease of the upper respiratory tract. The main characteristics of this kind of illness are sore throat, low fever, a pseudo membrane developing on the tonsils or the nose. A less intense form of diphtheria may be restricted to the skin. The source of this disease is a bacteria called as corynebacterium.

Diphtheria is essentially a highly infectious and contagious disease which can be spread through personal contact of inhaling the aerosolised emissions of people who are contaminated. Earlier, diphtheria was a feared disease, occurring in epidemics and killing a huge number of people, especially children. Nowadays children have started being given to all school going children.