Timeline of diphtheria

Year/period	Key developments
19th century	Diphtheria infection grows significantly late in the century to become one of the major causes of death, fuelled by the industrial revolution and increasingly crowded urban centers.
1920s	The first diphtheria toxoid vaccine is developed, and its subsequent widespread use leads to a dramatic decrease of diphtheria worldwide.
1990s	The vast majority of diphtheria cases occur during an outbreak in the ex-Soviet Union, in which the World Health Organization reports more than 157,000 cases and 5,000 deaths.

Full timeline

Year/period	Type of event	Event	Present time geographical location
5th century BC	Scientific development	Diphtheria is first described by Greek physician Hippocrates.	Greece
1600s	Scientific development	Medical reports of a "deadly" strangulation disease first appear early in the century, and emerges as a greater threat with the growth.
1826	Scientific development	French physician Pierre Bretonneau gives diphtheria its official name diphtérite, derived from the Greek word for "leather" or "hide", which describes the pseudomembrane in the throat of the victims.
1884	Scientific development	German bacteriologist Friedrich Loeffler first grows diphtheria bacterium corynebacterium diphtheriae in pure culture.	Germany
1888	Scientific development	French physicians Pierre Paul Émile Roux and Alexandre Yersin, working at Pasteur Institute, discover the diphtheria toxin.	France
1890	Medical development	German physiologist Emil von Behring develops the first effective therapeutic serum against diphtheria. In 1901 Von Bering would be awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this work.	Germany
1891	Medical development	The first successful therapeutic serum treatment of a child suffering from diphtheria is performed.
1894	Medical development	The production and marketing of the diphtheria therapeutic serum begins in Germany.	Germany
1901	Medical development	Emil von Behring, for the first time, uses a diphtheria innoculation of bacteria with reduced virulence, hoping with this active immunization to help the body also produce antitoxins.	Germany
1913	Medical development	Emil von Behring publishes his diphtheria protective agent, T.A. (Toxin-Antitoxin), which contains a mixture of diphtheria toxin and therapeutic serum antitoxin. Designed to provide long-term protection, the new drug would further be tested at various clinics and proven to be non-harmful and effective.	Germany
1921	Report	A high of 206,000 cases of diphtheria and 15,520 deaths (case-fatality ratio of 7.5%) are recorded in the United States.	United States
1923	Medical development	Diphtheria toxoid is licensed; prepared from inactivated bacterial toxin that has lost its toxicity but retains its antitoxin producing properties.
1924	Scientific development	French biologist Gaston Ramon, working at Pasteur Institute, discoveres diphtheria and tetanus toxoid, then referred to as anatoxins.	France
1947	Medical development	Combination diphtheria and tetanus toxoids for pediatric use is first licensed in the United States.	United States
1953	Medical development	Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (adult formulation) are first licensed in the United States, after the concentration of diphtheria toxoid is reduced.	United States
1974	Epidemic	Diphtheria epidemic breaks out in Lisbon. 500 persons are involved, and about 40 deaths are recorded.	Portugal
1982	Epidemic	5 deaths are recorded in Germany during a diphtheria outbreak.	Germany
1990		DIphtheria epidemic breaks out in parts of Russia
1996	Medical development	Lederle Laboratories licenses diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine Acel-Imune, for use as the first through fifth doses in the series.
1997	Medical development	British pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham licenses Infanrix (diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed), for the first four doses of the series.
1998	Medical development	North American Vaccine Inc licenses Certiva (diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed), for boosting immunization of infants and children.
1999	Medical development	Connaught Laboratories licenses diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine Tripedia.
2002	Medical development	British pharmaceutical GlaxoSmithKline licenses Pediarix, a vaccine combining diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated polio, and hepatitis B antigens.
2002	Medical development	Aventis Pasteur licenses diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine Daptacel.
2004	Medical development	Aventis Pasteur licenses vaccine Decavac, indicated for active immunization against tetanus and diphtheria.
2005	Medical development	Sanofi Pasteur licenses Menactra, the first meningococcal polysaccharide (Serogroups A, C, Y and W-135) diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine. This would be the first immunogenic meningococcal vaccine indicated for children younger than 2 years of age.
2007	Report	4,190 cases of diphtheria are reported globally.
2011	Medical development	United States Food and Drug Administration approves Boostrix (developed by GlaxoSmithKline) to prevent tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis in older people.	United States