Efstratiou A, Engler K H, Mazurova I K, Glushkevich T, Vuopio-Varkila J, Popovic T
World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Diphtheria and Streptococcal Infections, Public Health Laboratory Service, Central Public Health Laboratory, NW95HT London, United Kingdom.
J Infect Dis. 2000 Feb;181 Suppl 1:S138-45. doi: 10.1086/315552.
Despite the success of mass immunization in many countries, diphtheria continues to play a major role as a potentially lethal resurgent infectious disease. Early, accurate diagnosis is imperative since delay in specific therapy may result in death. The microbiologic diagnosis of the disease, the identification of contacts and carriers, and the appropriate clinical management of these patients are therefore crucial. The epidemiology of diseases caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae has changed dramatically over the decades, a situation that is highlighted by the resurgence of infections in the European region. These factors have strengthened the need for laboratories to screen for C. diphtheriae. Many modified and new methodologies are now used widely within laboratories for diphtheria diagnosis. Recent developments have focused upon methods for detection of the lethal and potent exotoxin produced by the causative organism, C. diphtheriae; this detection is the definitive test for the microbiologic diagnosis of diphtheria.
尽管许多国家在大规模免疫接种方面取得了成功，但白喉作为一种潜在致命的复发性传染病，仍然扮演着重要角色。早期、准确的诊断至关重要，因为特异性治疗的延迟可能导致死亡。因此，该疾病的微生物学诊断、接触者和携带者的识别以及这些患者的适当临床管理至关重要。几十年来，由白喉棒状杆菌引起的疾病流行病学发生了巨大变化，欧洲地区感染的再次出现凸显了这种情况。这些因素强化了实验室对白喉棒状杆菌进行筛查的必要性。现在，许多改良的和新的方法在实验室中被广泛用于白喉诊断。最近的进展集中在检测致病生物白喉棒状杆菌产生的致命且强效外毒素的方法上；这种检测是白喉微生物学诊断的决定性试验。
