How Is Diphtheria Caught?
Diphtheria is highly contagious * . Although it is now rare in the United States and Europe, it was a leading cause of death in infants and children until the twentieth century. It still occurs in other places in the world, and in 1993 and 1994, some 50,000 cases were reported in the former Soviet Union. Diphtheria is spread when a person breathes in particles that someone with diphtheria releases into the air when sneezing or even talking. People with diphtheria can infect others for up to 4 weeks. Unimmunized people at greatest risk of catching diphtheria are children under 5 and adults over 60, as well as people who live in crowded, unsanitary conditions or who do not get adequate nutrition.
