Guidance

Diphtheria: laboratory guidelines for diagnosis

Laboratory guidelines for the diagnosis of infections caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae and C. ulcerans.

Documents

Details

This latest World Health Organization (WHO) laboratory manual incorporates a number of developments and revisions since the previous one (1994) including:

  • case definitions and surveillance strategies
  • atypical and unusual manifestations of diphtheria
  • novel reservoirs, for example companion animals as a source of Corynebacterium ulcerans
  • new laboratory methodologies including for diagnostics, molecular epidemiology and serological immunity

The manual is provided for global use with the intention of fulfilling the needs of all laboratories including those with minimal resources.

Published 30 December 1999
Last updated 24 May 2022 + show all updates
  1. Added link to the WHO laboratory manual.

  2. First published.