Diphtheria

Diphtheria can be a serious illness and sometimes fatal, especially in children, if it's not treated quickly. Vaccination can prevent it.

Get vaccinated against diphtheria

Diphtheria is rare in the UK because babies and children have been routinely vaccinated against it since the 1940s.

Travel vaccination for diphtheria

The best way to avoid diphtheria while travelling is to be fully vaccinated against it.

If you're travelling to a part of the world where there may be a risk of diphtheria, you may need a booster vaccination if you were last vaccinated against it more than 10 years ago.

Some parts of the world where there may be a risk include:

Africa
South America
India
south east Asia
eastern Europe

You may be able to get a combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and polio free on the NHS. Ask at a GP surgery.

Places that have higher cases of diphtheria often change over time. For up-to-date information about the area you're visiting, check the TravelHealthPro country guides.

How diphtheria is spread

Diphtheria is a contagious bacterial infection. It's spread by coughs and sneezes, or through close contact with someone who is infected.

You can also get it by sharing items such as cups, cutlery, clothing or bedding with an infected person.

Symptoms of diphtheria

Symptoms of diphtheria include:

a thick grey-white coating that may cover the back of your throat, nose and tongue
a high temperature (fever)
sore throat
swollen glands in your neck
difficulty breathing and swallowing

In places with poor hygiene, infection of the skin (cutaneous diphtheria) is more common.

If it's cutaneous diphtheria, it can cause:

pus-filled blisters on your legs, feet and hands
large ulcers surrounded by red, sore-looking skin

Symptoms of diphtheria usually start 2 to 5 days after becoming infected.

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

you have travelled to a country where diphtheria is found and have diphtheria symptoms
you have been in close contact with someone who has diphtheria

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Diptheria can spread to others easily. Call your GP surgery before you go in. They may suggest talking over the phone.

Get medical help as soon as possible if you have diphtheria symptoms while you're travelling. Do not wait until you get back to the UK.

Treatments for diphtheria

The main treatments for diphtheria are:

antibiotics to kill the diphtheria bacteria
medicines that stop the effects of the harmful substances (toxins) produced by the bacteria
thoroughly cleaning any infected wounds if you have diphtheria affecting your skin

Treatment usually lasts 2 weeks. Any skin ulcers usually heal within 2 to 3 months but may leave a scar.

People who have been in close contact with someone who has diphtheria will also need to take antibiotics and may be given the diphtheria vaccine. A contact tracing team will get in touch with anyone who needs to be treated.

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

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