Symptoms:

Symptoms usually occur 2 to 5 days after you have come in contact with the bacteria.

• Bluish coloration of the skin
• Bloody, watery drainage from nose
• Breathing problems
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Rapid breathing
  • Stridor
• Chills
• Croup-like (barking) cough
• Drooling (suggests airway blockage is about to occur)
• Fever
• Hoarseness
• Painful swallowing
• Skin lesions (usually seen in tropical areas)
• Sore throat (may range from mild to severe)

Note: There may be no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

The health care provider will perform a physical exam and look inside your mouth. This may reveal a gray to black covering (pseudomembrane) in the throat, enlarged lymph glands, and swelling of the neck or larynx.

Tests used may include:

• Gram stain or throat culture to identify Corynebacterium diphtheriae
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)