What should you know about nasopharyngeal diphtheria?

Diphtheria can cause a sore throat, fever, weakness, swollen neck glands and a thick grey or white coating over the throat, tonsils or nasal passages. The coating may bleed if disturbed. Toxins released by the bacteria can affect breathing and other organs, so appearance and symptoms should not be managed at home as an ordinary throat infection.

The illness can spread through respiratory droplets and close contact. A healthcare team may arrange testing, notify public-health services and assess people who have been exposed.

Contact urgent medical services before arriving and mention suspected diphtheria, recent travel or contact with an affected person, and vaccination history. Avoid close contact, do not share utensils or towels, and follow instructions about staying away from school, work and public spaces. Clinicians may use antitoxin and antibiotic treatment, with monitoring for breathing or toxin-related complications. Do not scrape the throat coating.

Get emergency help for noisy or difficult breathing, choking, inability to swallow saliva, rapidly increasing neck swelling, blue lips, confusion or collapse. A suspected case needs same-day assessment even when symptoms seem moderate. Anyone who has had close contact should ask public-health or clinical staff about testing, preventive treatment and vaccination review.

Could this coating or sore throat be diphtheria? What tests and treatments are needed today? How long should I avoid close contact? Do household contacts need assessment or antibiotics? Is my immunisation schedule up to date?