[Suspected diphtheria. Immediately start therapy!].
Only those strains of corynebacteria that carry the gene for diphtheria toxin may cause diphtheria. The only known reservoir of C. diphtheriae is man. The past decade has seen a return of diphtheria in the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union. Owing to a lack of immunization of the population, more than 150,000 people went down with the disease. In Germany, too, contact resulted in a number of cases and two deaths. The sole effective protection is immunization. Although more than 90% of children and adolescents are protected, only 40% to 60% of adults are.
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Kinderklinik im Universitätsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Berlin. dr.stueck@snafu.de
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents