Which organ is affected by diphtheria?
Diphtheria can infect the respiratory tract (parts of the body involved in breathing) and skin. In the respiratory tract, it causes a thick, gray coating to build up in the throat or nose. This coating can make it hard to breathe and swallow. Diphtheria skin infections can cause open sores or shallow ulcers.
What does diphtheria look like?
The classic case of diphtheria is an upper respiratory infection caused by bacteria. It produces a gray pseudomembrane, or a covering that looks like a membrane, over the lining of the nose and throat, around the area of the tonsils.
What is the most common complication of diphtheria?
Complications from respiratory diphtheria (when the bacteria infect parts of the body involved in breathing) may include:
- Airway blockage.
- Damage to the heart muscle (myocarditis)
- Nerve damage (polyneuropathy)
- Loss of the ability to move (paralysis)
- Kidney failure.
Which of the following is the symptoms of diphtheria?
A thick, gray membrane covering your throat and tonsils. A sore throat and hoarseness. Swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes) in your neck. Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing.
What are the 5 types of diphtheria?
Respiratory and cutaneous diphtheria are caused by toxic strains of the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium ulcerans and very rarely Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis….Diphtheria
- classical respiratory diphtheria.
- laryngeal diphtheria.
- nasal diphtheria and.
- cutaneous diphtheria (skin lesions).
How long does diphtheria last for?
How long does diphtheria last? Usually the matter is settled, one way or the other, in 7 to 10 days. Sometimes there are lasting complications such as arthritis, paralysis, or brain damage.
What does corynebacteria look like?
The corynebacteria are gram-positive bacilli that are nonspore forming club-shaped rods. The name is derived from the Greek koryne, which stands for club. In a typical Gram stain these bacteria appear as V-in Y-shaped arrangements or in clumps that resemble Chinese letters.
What antibiotics treat diphtheria?
Antibiotics. The recommended antibiotics for respiratory or cutaneous diphtheria is either erythromycin or penicillin.
Can diphtheria cause kidney failure?
People may die from asphyxiation when the membrane obstructs breathing. Other complications of respiratory diphtheria are caused by the diphtheria toxin released in the blood. This leads to heart or kidney failure and nerve problems.
Does diphtheria affect the brain?
In some cases, these toxins can also damage other organs, including the heart, brain, and kidneys. This can lead to potentially life-threatening complications, such as: myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle. paralysis.
What diphtheria smells like?
Infectious diseases were known by their characteristics odors–scrofula as smelling like stale beer; typhoid, like freshly baked brown bread; rubella, like plucked feathers; and diphtheria, as “sweetish.” Anosmics might be banned from medical school.
Is diphtheria a virus or bacteria?
Diphtheria is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening bacterial disease caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. There are two types of diphtheria: respiratory and cutaneous. Respiratory diphtheria involves the nose, throat and tonsils, and cutaneous diphtheria involves the skin.
What is diphtheria and what causes it?
Diphtheria is caused by bacteria adhering to the lining of the respiratory system. These bacteria generate a toxin which damages tissue cells of the respiratory system. Within two or three days, the tissue left behind forms a bulky, gray coating. This coating has the potential to cover tissues in the voice box, throat, nose and tonsils.
How many stock photos of diphtheria are there?
Browse 719 diphtheria stock photos and images available, or search for tetanus or polio to find more great stock photos and pictures. In this photograph taken on January 10 doctors from Médecins Sans Frontières examine Rohingya Muslim refugee Mohammad Rashed and who is infected with…
What happens if diphtheria is left untreated?
Left untreated, diphtheria can lead to: Breathing problems. Diphtheria-causing bacteria may produce a toxin. This toxin damages tissue in the immediate area of infection — usually, the nose and throat. At that site, the infection produces a tough, gray-colored membrane composed of dead cells, bacteria and other substances.
What are the symptoms of cutaneous diphtheria?
Skin (cutaneous) diphtheria. A second type of diphtheria can affect the skin, causing the typical pain, redness and swelling associated with other bacterial skin infections. Ulcers covered by a gray membrane also may develop in cutaneous diphtheria.