RT Book, Section A1 Bishai, William R. A1 Murphy, John R. A2 Kasper, Dennis L. A2 Fauci, Anthony S. SR Print(0) ID 1141407726 T1 DIPHTHERIA AND OTHER CORYNEBACTERIAL INFECTIONS T2 Harrison's Infectious Diseases, 3e YR 2017 FD 2017 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259835971 LK accessbiomedicalscience.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1141407726 RD 2024/04/23 AB Diphtheria is a nasopharyngeal and skin infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Toxigenic strains of C. diphtheriae produce a protein toxin that causes systemic toxicity, myocarditis, and polyneuropathy. The toxin is associated with the formation of pseudomembranes in the pharynx during respiratory diphtheria. While toxigenic strains most frequently cause pharyngeal diphtheria, nontoxigenic strains commonly cause cutaneous disease.