What is diphtheria? Diphtheria is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacteria named Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Infection may lead to shortness of breath, skin disease, or carrier state without any clinical symptom. The word diphtheria was derived from the Greek word for "leather", which attributes to the tough and solid pharyngeal membrane that is the clinical hallmark of illness. Diphtheria outbreaks occured in Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia and Ecuador in the late 90s.
