Laos reports nearly 600 diphtheria cases in 2015, Vietnam concerned about cross border spread

Diphtheria is caused by a potent toxin produced by certain strains of the bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae. This very serious disease can be prevented through vaccination. In the Asian country of Laos, diphtheria outbreaks have been reported in a third of the country's provinces accounting for 588 cases through October 2015. The cases occurred mainly in children under ["]