Localized infection of mucous membranes or skin caused by toxigenic strains of corynebacterium diphtheriae; it is characterized by the presence of a pseudomembrane at the site of infection; diphtheria toxin, produced by c. diphtheriae, can cause myocarditis, polyneuritis, and other systemic toxic effects.

Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%...