Editing Corynebacterium diphtheriae (section)

{{Short description|Species of prokaryote}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Corynebacterium diphtheriae Gram stain.jpg
| taxon = Corynebacterium diphtheriae
| authority = (Kruse 1886) Lehmann and Neumann 1896 (Approved Lists 1980)<ref>{{cite journal| vauthors = Parte AC |title= Corynebacterium |journal=[[LPSN]] |url=https://lpsn.dsmz.de/genus/corynebacterium}}</ref>
| type_strain =
| synonyms =
}}

'''''Corynebacterium diphtheriae'''''{{efn|Pronunciation: {{IPAc-en|k|ɔː|ˈ|r|aɪ|n|ə|b|æ|k|t|ɪər|i|ə|m|_|d|ɪ|f|ˈ|θ|ɪər|i|i|,_|-|r|ɪ|n|ə|-}}.}} is a Gram-positive [[pathogenic bacterium]] that causes [[diphtheria]].<ref name="Hoskisson 2018">{{cite journal | vauthors = Hoskisson PA | title = Microbe Profile: Corynebacterium diphtheriae – an old foe always ready to seize opportunity | journal = Microbiology | volume = 164 | issue = 6 | pages = 865–867 | date = June 2018 | pmid = 29465341 | pmc = 6097034 | doi = 10.1099/mic.0.000627 | doi-access = free }}</ref> It is also known as the '''Klebs–Löffler bacillus''' because it was discovered in 1884 by German [[bacteriologist]]s [[Edwin Klebs]] (1834–1912) and [[Friedrich Löffler]] (1852–1915).<ref name="pmid4322195">{{cite journal | vauthors = Barksdale L | title = Corynebacterium diphtheriae and its relatives | journal = Bacteriological Reviews | volume = 34 | issue = 4 | pages = 378–422 | date = December 1970 | pmid = 4322195 | pmc = 378364 | doi = 10.1128/br.34.4.378-422.1970 }}</ref> These bacteria are usually harmless, unless they are infected by a [[bacteriophage]] carrying a [[gene]] which gives rise to a [[microbial toxin|toxin]].<ref name="pmid35328715">{{cite journal | vauthors = Ott L, Möller J, Burkovski A | title = Interactions between the Re-Emerging Pathogen ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae'' and Host Cells | journal = International Journal of Molecular Sciences | volume = 23 | issue = 6 | page = 3298 | date = March 2022 | pmid = 35328715 | pmc = 8952647 | doi = 10.3390/ijms23063298 | doi-access = free }}</ref> This toxin causes the disease.<ref name="pmid32003344">{{cite journal | vauthors = Muthuirulandi Sethuvel DP, Subramanian N, Pragasam AK, Inbanathan FY, Gupta P, Johnson J, Sharma NC, Hemvani N, Veeraraghavan B, Anandan S, Sangal L | display-authors = 6 | title = Insights to the diphtheria toxin encoding prophages amongst clinical isolates of ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae'' from India | journal = Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology | volume = 37 | issue = 3 | pages = 423–425 | date = 2019 | pmid = 32003344 | doi = 10.4103/ijmm.IJMM_19_469 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Diphtheria is caused by the adhesion and infiltration of the bacteria into the mucosal layers of the body, primarily affecting the respiratory tract and causing the subsequent release of an [[exotoxin]].<ref name=":0" /> The toxin has a localized effect on skin lesions, as well as a metastatic, proteolytic effects on other organ systems in severe infections.<ref name=":0" /> Originally a major cause of childhood mortality, diphtheria has been almost entirely eradicated due to the vigorous administration of the diphtheria vaccination in the 1910s.<ref name="pmid31538559">{{cite journal |vauthors=Clarke KE, MacNeil A, Hadler S, Scott C, Tiwari TS, Cherian T |title=Global Epidemiology of Diphtheria, 2000-20171 |journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |volume=25 |issue=10 |pages=1834–1842 |date=October 2019 |pmid=31538559 |pmc=6759252 |doi=10.3201/eid2510.190271}}</ref>

Diphtheria is no longer transmitted as frequently due to the development of the vaccine, [[DTaP]]. Although diphtheria outbreaks continue to occur, this is often in developing countries where the majority of the population is not vaccinated.<ref name="Mayo"/>