Abstract
Diphtheria infection commonly occure in the respiratory tract, and cutaneous diphtheriae may rarely occur. The involvement of Corynaebacterium diphtheriae in cutaneous lesions possibly will induced natural immunity and also as the reservoir of spread for faucial diphtheriae. Skin swabs, throat swabs and blood were collected from 370 persons having cutaneous lesions visited Cempaka Putih and Tanjung Priok Health Centre. Swabs were processed for bacteriological investigation. Antibody against diphtheria were measured by passive haemagglutination test. The results indicate that the percentage of positif diphtheria in the cutaneous lesions and throats were 2.54% and 2,54% in Kecamatan Cempaka Putih and 0.03% and 3.08% in Kecamatan Tanjung Priok, respectively. Patients of protective antibody titres are 69.05% in Kecamatan Cempaka Putih and 67.8% in Tanjung Priok. In comparison with earlier study in Jakarta in 1960—1963, the percentage of C. diphtheriae in the cutaneous lesions and throats decreased 25.64% and 4.49% respectively.
