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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of diphtheria may include:
- A sore throat and hoarseness
- Painful swallowing
- Swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes) in your neck
- A thick, gray membrane covering your throat and tonsils
- Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
- Nasal discharge
- Fever and chills
- Malaise
Signs and symptoms usually begin two to five days after a person becomes infected.
In some people, infection with diphtheria-causing bacteria causes only a mild case of the illness — or no obvious signs and symptoms at all. Infected people who remain unaware of their illness are known as carriers of diphtheria, because they can spread the infection without being sick themselves.
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.
Although it's more common in tropical climates, cutaneous diphtheria also occurs in the United States, particularly among people with poor hygiene who live in crowded conditions.
In rare instances, diphtheria affects the eye.
When to see a doctor
Call your family doctor immediately if you or your child has been exposed to someone with diphtheria. If you're not sure whether your child has been vaccinated against diphtheria, schedule an appointment. Make sure your own immunizations are current.
- Diphtheria. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs089/en/. Accessed Feb. 9, 2011.
- Diphtheria. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec14/ch172/ch172c.html. Accessed Feb. 9, 2011.
- Daybell DK, et al. Epidemiology and clinical features of diphtheria. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 9, 2011.
- Overturf GD. Corynebacterium diphtheriae. In: Long SS. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Revised Reprint. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7020-3468-8..50002-X&isbn=978-0-7020-3468-8&uniqId=235245982-7. Accessed Feb. 10, 2011.
- Daybell DK, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of diphtheria. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 9, 2011.
- Recommended immunization schedule for adults aged 19 years and older — United States, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/child-adolescent.html. Accessed Feb. 19, 2013.
- Tetanus, diphtheria (Td) or tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) vaccine: What you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-td-tdap.pdf. Accessed Feb. 10, 2011.
- Bishai WR, et al. Diphtheria and other infections caused by corynebacteria and related species. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2898307. Accessed Feb. 10, 2011.
- Recommended immunization schedule for persons aged 0 through 18 years — United States, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/child-adolescent.html. Accessed Feb. 19, 2013.
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