1961 – Diphtheria, especially TX (only State in double digits — 23) — 68

–68 CDC, MMWR, 13/554, 9-30-1965, p. 5 (Table 3.A)
–68 USPHS Vital Statistics of the US 1961: Vol. II – Mortality, Part A. 1964, p. 1-30.

— 2 Alabama — 0 California
— 1 Alaska — 0 Colorado
— 1 Arizona — 0 Delaware
— 3 Arkansas — 0 District of Columbia
— 1 Connecticut — 0 Hawaii
— 1 Florida — 0 Idaho
— 6 Georgia — 0 Indiana
— 1 Illinois — 0 Iowa
— 1 Kansas — 0 Maine
— 1 Kentucky — 0 Massachusetts
— 4 Louisiana — 0 Missouri
— 1 Maryland — 0 Montana
— 2 Michigan — 0 Nevada
— 5 Minnesota — 0 New Hampshire
— 3 Mississippi — 0 New Jersey
— 2 Nebraska — 0 New York
— 3 New Mexico — 0 Ohio
— 1 North Dakota — 0 Oklahoma
— 1 North Carolina — 0 Oregon
— 3 South Carolina — 0 Pennsylvania
— 2 South Dakota — 0 Rhode Island
— 5 Virginia — 0 Tennessee
–23 Texas — 0 Utah
— 1 Washington — 0 Vermont
— 0 West Virginia
— 0 Wisconsin
— 0 Wyoming

Narrative Information

Diphtheria, CDC: “Diphtheria is a serious disease caused by a toxin (poison) made by bacteria. It causes a thick coating in the back of the nose or throat that makes it hard to breathe or swallow. It can be deadly. The DTaP vaccine protects against diphtheria….Diphtheria starts like a cold, with sore throat, mild fever (101 degrees or less), and chills. Next, the diphtheria toxin makes a thick coating on the back of the nose or throat. It may be blue or grayish green. The coating makes it hard to breathe or swallow…The coating on the throat can get so thick that it blocks the airway, so the person can’t breathe.

“The diphtheria toxin can attack the heart, causing abnormal heart rhythms and even heart failure. It can also attack the nerves, which leads to paralysis (unable to move parts of the body). About 1 out of 10 people who get diphtheria dies. In children younger than 5 years, as many as 1 out of 5 children who get diphtheria dies.

“How does diphtheria spread? Diphtheria spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person can spread the disease for up to 2 weeks after infection.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Table 3. (A) Deaths From Specified Notifiable Diseases: United States, 1954-1963.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 13, No. 54, 9-30-1965, p. 5. Accessed 9-14-2016 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=VPvPAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true

Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Vital Statistics of The United States 1961, Volume II – Mortality, Part A. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 1964. Accessed 11-4-2022 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1961_2A.pdf