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The swollen 'bull neck' symptom of diphtheria

Diphtheria (pronounced "diff-THEER-ee-uh") is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It can be treated by special drugs, or by antibiotics. There is a vaccine which can prevent diphtheria. In 1942, there were 50,804 diphtheria cases in England and Wales; now there is about one case a year.

Diphtheria can cause serious problems, like:

• Inflammation of the heart, which can lead to death
• Different forms of paralysis, by poisoning of nerve cells
• Pneumonia
• Encephalitis
• Problems with the kidneys