Diphtheria Still Exists: Why a Rare U.S. Disease Still Matters

Mar 19

1 min read

Diphtheria is so rare in modern U.S. practice that many clinicians have never treated a case.

That can make it sound extinct. It is not.

A disease controlled, not eradicated

Diphtheria still occurs in parts of the world where vaccination coverage is lower or health systems are disrupted.

Travel means a disease does not need to be common in Hawaii to remain relevant to Hawaii.

Toxin-producing diphtheria can create a thick membrane in the throat and can damage the heart and nerves.

The disease can be fatal even with treatment.

Routine vaccination is the reason diphtheria became uncommon in the United States.

That means declining vaccination would not reveal that diphtheria was harmless. It would remove the barrier that made it rare.

In DTaP and Tdap, diphtheria is often the least-discussed letter.

That quietness is one of prevention's successes.

— Nora Phillips, DNP, APRN Central Health | Wahiawa, Hawaii

CDC — Diphtheria. https://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/

Hawaii Department of Health — Diphtheria. https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/disease_listing/diphtheria/