Corynebacterium diphtheriae, C. diphtheriae, The Strangling
Angel of Children, Bull Neck Introduction to diphtheria: Once
called “the strangling angel of children,” diphtheria was a
dreaded common childhood illness for more than 2,000 years
before modern medicine made it a rarity. In areas where
diphtheria vaccination is uncommon, diphtheria would meet the
criteria to be a powerful weapon of bioterrorism.It has many
similarities to anthrax. What is diphtheria? Diphtheria is a
bacterial illness that has been known to plague children since
the 4th century B.C. The bacteria can cause inhalational or
cutaneous forms of the disease. They can also enter the body
through the eyes, ears, or genitals. The bacteria multiply and
produce a powerful toxin that causes tissue death in the
immediate vicinity. In some cases the toxin may be pumped
throughout the body in the blood vessels or lymph system.
Behring’s discovery of antitoxin, a little more than a hundred
years ago, was one of the most dramatic successes of any sin