Diphtheria

The conquest of diphtheria is one of the great success stories of disease prevention through vaccination. It used to take a terrible toll. Now, the vaccine has all but wiped out diphtheria in the industrialized countries.
The bacterium that causes diphtheria is called Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It kills its victim by making a toxin or poison Read the rest of this entry »

Usually you catch diarrheal diseases from contaminated water or food, or from other people who have diarrhea and spread it to you on their hands—the fecal-oral route. Thus, you have to ingest the bacteria, virus, or parasite to become infected.

Nursing Care

Watch carefully for signs of dehydration and call the doctor if any occur.

How Do You Prevent It?

■ Always wash your hands well—including under the fingernails—after using the toilet and before preparing food.
■ Don’t eat unwashed fruits and vegetables unless you peel them yourself.
■ If you are in doubt about your water supply, the safest thing is to boil the water, especially during such emergencies as hurricanes or floods when public water supplies are disrupted.
■ If you camp or hike, boil stream or river water for three minutes (longer at high altitudes) before drinking it.
■ If an outbreak of diarrhea occurs in your child-care center, make sure that the director notifies the health department. Children with severe diarrhea must stay home until their stools have returned to normal. All staff in child-care centers with diapered children must follow strict procedures for hand washing, diapering, and food preparation.