|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

History of Diphtheria

Diphtheria was a common childhood illness striking thousands of victims before immunization programs came into effect, along with the discovery of sulfa drugs, some time after WWII (World War II). In the 1920's between 100,000 and 200,000 recorded cases of Diphtheria affected Americans each year, resulting in 13,000 to 15,000 deaths annually. Economic and social degradation has seen a comeback of Diphtheria in the former Soviet Union and other parts of the world, to almost epidemic proportions.

  1. History

    • Diphtheria killed 80% of children below ten years of age during frequent outbreaks in the New England Colonies, between 1735 and 1740. Diphtheria acquired its name in 1826 from French physician, Pierre Bretonneau who proclaimed la diphtherite. The Greek word for leather, diphtheria, referred to the leathery membrane covering of the tonsils, throat and nose of diphtheria victims. Grossly enlarged lymph nodes gave victims a classic "bull-neck." Many diphtheria victims died of asphyxiation.

    Geography

    • Areas of the world considered to have the highest mortality rate due to diphtheria in 1884 were England, in the counties of Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Herefordshire, Kent, Middlesex and Hertforshire. The second highest mortality rate in England was in North Wales, Monmouthshire, Shropshire into Somersetshire. Towns in France with over 10,000 inhabitants saw a drop in diphtheria related deaths of 610 per million victims by 1886 to 1890. Diphtheria was epidemic in Cypress in 1889. In Asia diphtheria was blamed for far lesser deaths and was not as prevalent as in Europe.

    Theories/Speculation

    • It is widely believed that diphtheria was to blame for many deaths recorded as croup, which had similar symptoms and affected victim's lymph nodes, as did diphtheria. Croup death figures were added in with diphtheria death figures by 1881.

    Significance

    • Diphtheria was, and is, subject to certain areas and socioeconomic groups, affecting those who live in close proximity to each other and in overcrowded conditions, slum areas and poverty-stricken parts of the world. Diphtheria symptoms are caused by toxins produced by the diphtheria bacillus, Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

    Effects

    • Diphtheria may cause complications called myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) caused by the exotoxin and damage to the nervous system. This may result in heart failure. Nerve damage causes slurred speech and double vision (diplopia) as the most prominent effects of the disease.

Public Health - Related Articles