What is diphtheria?

Also known as: Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection.

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that causes several symptoms, the most serious of which is a thick film of material that covers the back of the throat and causes breathing problems. A vaccine for diphtheria has made the disease increasingly rare in the United States and elsewhere.

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Reviewed by: Otto M Ramos, MD

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM