Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae)
1995 Case Definition
The 1995 case definition appearing on this page was re-published in the 1997 MMWR Recommendations and
Reports titled Case Definitions for Infectious Conditions Under Public Health Surveillance [MMWR 1997;46(RR10)]
(available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00047449.htm).
Thus, the 1995 and 1997 versions of the case definition are identical.
Clinical description
An upper respiratory tract illness characterized
by sore throat, low-grade fever, and an adherent membrane of
the tonsil(s), pharynx, and/or nose
Laboratory criteria for diagnosis
- Isolation of Corynebacterium diphtheriae from
a clinical specimen, or
- Histopathologic diagnosis of diphtheria
Case classification
Probable: a clinically
compatible case that is not laboratory confirmed and is not epidemiologically
linked to a laboratory-confirmed case
Confirmed: a clinically compatible case
that is either laboratory confirmed or epidemiologically linked
to a laboratory-confirmed case
Comment
Cutaneous diphtheria should not be reported. Respiratory
disease caused by nontoxigenic C. diphtheriae should
be reported as diphtheria. All diphtheria isolates, regardless
of association with disease, should be sent to the Diphtheria
Laboratory, National Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC.
See also:
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