DIPHTHERIA – Here are the causes, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and prevention in battling against the infection called diphtheria.
Definition
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, it is a bacterial infection which causes a thick covering or a pseudomembrane at the back of the throat. This will lead to difficulty in breathing, heart failure, paralysis, and in worst cases, death.
Causes And Transmission
This disease is caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae and can be transmitted from person to person via respiratory droplets such as coughing or sneezing. In rare cases, it can be transmitted via skin contact from open sores or clothes that contacted open sores of someone infected with the disease.
Symptoms
- Weakness
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Swollen glands in the neck
Complications
- Blocking of the airway
- Damage to the heart muscle
- Nerve damage
- Paralysis
- Lung infection
- Death
Diagnosis
- Observing the common signs and symptoms
- Test via a swab from the back of the throat
- Test from a sample from a skin lesion
Treatment
- Anti-toxin
- Antibiotics
Prevention
In the Philippines, according to CNN, the parents are urged to have their infants undergo three doses of the combination vaccine DPT to counter diphtheria.
READ ALSO: ANDROPAUSE: Causes, Diagnosis, Signs, Symptoms, & Treatment
