Corynebacterium diphtheriae

…disease caused by the bacillus Corynebacterium diphtheriae and characterized by a primary lesion, usually in the upper respiratory tract, and more generalized symptoms resulting from the spread of the bacterial toxin throughout the body. Diphtheria was a serious contagious disease throughout much of the world until the late 19th century,…

…diphtheria bacillus, known as the Klebs-Löffler bacillus.

…the organism that causes diphtheria, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, commonly known as the Klebs-Löffler bacillus. Simultaneously with Émile Roux and Alexandre Yersin, he indicated the existence of a diphtheria toxin. His demonstration that some animals are immune to diphtheria was a basic feature in Emil von Behring’s work in antitoxin development.

…for transmission of the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Carriage of C. diphtheriae in the nose or throat has been well documented in fully immunized persons who clearly may transmit the disease to susceptible individuals.

…organism that causes diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae), for example, is capable of invading only the surface cells of the mouth and throat. The disease that results is caused by the production of a powerful exotoxin (a chemical substance produced by the organism and released into the surrounding tissues) that is…

For example, the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the causative agent of diphtheria, but only when it contains the prophage of bacteriophage β, which codes for the toxin that is responsible for the disease.