Diphtheria

Starting in 1990, Diphtheria outbreak had spread to all of the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union by the end of 1994. There were over 150,000 cases resulting in 5,000 deaths from 1990 to 1998. Diphtheria is caused by a pathogenic bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheriae. During the period when NIS gained their independence, the health care system in the former Soviet Union was so bad that Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had to call a national emergency when the outbreak occurred. The death rate dropped by 5 years, one in five child was born healthy - which expert felt was understated, and death rate rose by 20%. All of could be a result of many failures in the system. The doctors didn't have the medicines, equipment,…

occurred due to uncontrollable outbreaks such as diphtheria. Though we create vaccines to subdue mass epidemics, the issue of how to take further preventative action still persists globally. After reading the article, Diphtheria History, I felt really fascinated with the 1927 view of diseases. In this section, the editors appear extremely positive about the new advancements for getting rid of diphtheria. They personify the disease as monstrous—a great opposition—and describe the rapid…

Diphtheria is a serious infectious disease, which is tackle successfully in the developed world through vaccinations. Caused by the bacteria – Corynebacterium Diphtheriae, the disease continues to be a major risk in areas not covered well by immunization programs. India for instance reported 4071 cases in 2014, with 104 deaths. Altogether 7321 cases of Diphtheria were reported to the WHO in 2014. Diphtheria usually affects the mucous membrane of the nose and throat, leading to sore throat,…

Eventually, the contraction of muscles would fracture the very bones that support the body. The disease was a torment to the body and mind as it idled for weeks, causing the victims to suffer before leaving them paralyzed in pain or culminating in death. Another disease during this period known as diphtheria further preyed heavily on children resulting in the death of half of those in contact with the disease. Complications from diphtheria led to blockage of the airway, damage to the heart…

Diphtheria Diphtheria is caused by bacteria that live in the mouth and throat of an infected person and cause a sore throat, fever and chills. If diptheria is not properly diagnosed and treated, the bacteria can produce a toxin that causes serious complications such as heart failure and paralysis. About one person in 10 dies. Diphtheria used to be a major cause of childhood illness and death. It is spread from person to person through sneezing, coughing, or even breathing. Through the 1920s…

(West Virginia Medical Student, Vol 1, 1875) This more virulent form of the disease is, in part, distinguished by the black membrane form across the throat as opposed to the 'normal' grey one. Usually infecting children, this black type had a higher mortality rate than the grey type. Often it was tainted milk from an infected cow that was the culprit. The Parry Sound North Star (Feb 2, 1893) reprinted an extract from Scientific American gives a remedy: At first indication of diphtheria in the…

Corynebacterium diphtheria targets cells of the mucosa membranes of the upper respiratory tract and cutaneous tissues of the skin. Rarely, infection can occur at other mucosal sites such as the eyes, ears, or genitals (CDC, 2016). C. diphtheria bacteria produce an exotoxin, diphtheria toxin, and release it to their external environment at the site of infection. From there, the toxin can travel through the bloodstream and affect different cells throughout the body, and block their protein…

After Dee left and never came back, Maggie got married; it was ten years down the road when Dee was trying to get in contact with Maggie and their mom. Little did she know that their mom passed away about two and half years later after she left? Maggie wanted to tell Dee but she never knew how to get in contact so she just never tried to find her. Maggie always thought that the day Dee left and never came back was just her way of saying that she wants nothing to do with them. After their mom…

and is caused due to Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium. This disease is characterized by a prolonged paroxysmal cough and is also accompanied with by rispiratory whoop. The severity of the disease varies with the history and age of the previous vaccination or exposure. The symptoms also vary in infants and the adults. Before the vaccination era, the whooping cough was a common childhood disease that was also a major cause of infant and child mortality (Faulkner et al., 2016). During 1953, in…

If you knew that having your child vaccinated could result in possible health problems, such as: diabetes and seizures, would you get them vaccinated? Vaccines should not be mandatory for children. Not only can a child already handle most infections naturally, but vaccines can also trigger health problems. “Today it is rare for a doctor to see a case of diphtheria, much less have a child die from it. (Vaccinations for Children, Why and When From medicinecabinet.com)” The diseases that were…