Diphtheria
- scientific name
- Corynebacterium diphtheriae
- cause
- an acute, infectious, bacterial disease of the oral cavity, nose, or skin
- spread
- to others through close contact with discharge from an infected person’s nose, throat, skin, eyes and lesions
- incubation
- 2–7 days
- symptoms
- sore throat, drooling, fever, bloody or watery drainage from the nose, coughing, skin legions
- communicability
- usually 2 weeks or less, but rarely over 6 months
- prevention
- The single most effective control measure is maintaining the highest possible level of immunization in the community.
- treatment
- Certain antibiotics, such as penicillin and erythromycin, can be prescribed for the treatment of diphtheria.