Diphtheria

Question 1

What is the causative organism for Diphtheria?

Answer 1

Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Question 2

What form of Diphtheria is Corynebacterium diphtheriae?

Answer 2

Bacterial, gram-negative

Question 3

What are the most common modes of transmission is Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae)?

Answer 3

Droplet contact, direct contact or indirect contact with contaminated fomites

Question 4

What are the virulence factors for Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae)?

Answer 4

Exotoxin; diphtheria ttoxin

Question 5

How do you culture/diagnose Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae)?

Answer 5

Tellurite medium–gray/black colonies, club-shaped morphology on Gram stain; treatment begun before definitive identification

Question 6

How do you prevent Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae)?

Answer 6

Diphtheria toxoid vaccine (part of DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td)

Question 7

How do you treat Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae)?

Answer 7

Antitoxin plus penicillin or erythromycin

Question 8

What are the epidemiological features of Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae)?

Answer 8

United States: only rarely seen; internationally: +/- 5,000 cases per year, even though there is 86% vaccine coverage