Overview of Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a severe infectious disease affecting children and adults caused by the toxin-producing bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The bacteria, a species discovered in soil and animal feces, primarily infect the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, from which they generate a special toxin. This toxin is absorbed and then travels to susceptible tissues of the body through the lymphatic vessels and blood, eventually causing diphtheria. This disease typically affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. Most infections have a mild clinical course, but signs and symptoms may vary from mild to severe. Symptoms of this infection usually begin gradually a few days after infection. These symptoms include fever, chills, headache, sore throat, cough, trouble swallowing and swollen lymph nodes. Complications may include airway obstruction, nerve damage, kidney problems, and heart muscle damage.
Fig.1 Clinical presentations of diphtheria. (Sharma, 2019)
Route of Transmission
Diphtheria can be spread in many ways. Typically, it is spread by direct contact. In addition, respiratory droplet transmission, such as coughing or sneezing, is also a critical way of transmission from person to person. Importantly, people can also get sick from contact with infected sores. It is worth noting that it may also be spread by contaminated objects. Certain groups are at increased risk of infection, such as children who have not had up-to-date vaccines, people who live in unfavorable environments, and people who have had frequent close contact with sick people.
Prevention and Cure
At present, vaccines are pivotal ways to prevent this infection. Vaccination against diphtheria contributes to reducing morbidity and mortality from this disease. Also, some methods are very effective for diphtheria cure. For example, diphtheria antitoxin plays a central role in the therapy of the disease. It is worth noting that this method cannot neutralize the toxin in the cells, so it must be given as early as possible in the course of the disease to prevent the harm of bacterial toxins. However, this strategy is widely used in respiratory infections but is less common in skin infections. Antibiotics are another effective way to kill and get rid of bacteria. Antibiotic treatment is applied in several areas such as diphtheria infection of the respiratory system, skin and other parts of the body.
Antibodies at Creative Biolabs
Creative Biolabs is a world-leading biotechnology company that has been at the forefront of antibody research for decades. A variety of highly specific and reproducible Abs are available at Creative Biolabs, such as anti-diphtheria toxin monoclonal Abs, polyclonal Abs, and recombinant monoclonal Abs. Our Abs were developed in rabbits and mice. It is vital to note that all of our antibody products are for scientific research only and are suitable for diverse applications such as immunoprecipitation, western blotting as well as immunohistochemistry. Most importantly, we can customize unconjugated and conjugated Abs to meet your unique project needs. If you are interested in our anti-diphtheria antibody products, please contact us for more details.
Get more product information by accessing the following links:
- Sharma, N. C.; et al. Diphtheria (Primer). Nature Reviews: Disease Primers. 2019, 5(1).