Diphtheria Hits Defiance At Least Twice

 

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When diphtheria entered Defiance the first time, we were just entering the nineteenth century. (No doubt, it had also thrived among earlier settlers, too.) This was an unimmunized community, as was every community since no vaccine had been developed yet for this disease.

Deaths in Henry County were also included in our local papers.

For example:

Defiance Express, Jan. 25, 1901 - "Schools at Florida are closed. Only one case of diphtheria, but it was thought best to close the schools."

Sept. 18, 1902 - "Death - Hurd, Fanny, the 7-year-old-daughter of James of Florida, died Saturday at 3:30 of diphtheria...two more children have the disease.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease, so quarantines had to be enacted each time a case appeared. It spread through direct physical contact, breathing in air around an infected person or touching something they had touched.

One type of diphtheria attacked the mucous membranes of the throat, tonsils (seen in photo above) or nose; the other was a milder form, cutaneous diphtheria, that involved a rash on the skin and other possible skin deformities.  The victims were usually children and young adults, one to fourteen years old.  Symptoms could include a sore throat, fever, lethargy, hoarseness, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. The thick, leathery coating could obstruct breathing causing suffocation.

It was sometimes called the "strangling disease."

From 1901-1911 roughly, more and more cases of diphtheria were mentioned in the local papers. The disease would diminish for a while and then reappear.

Defiance Express, March 4, 1905 - "New case of diphtheria in city. Miss Berissa Milligan of Summit street was employed by family of Virgil Squire who are now quarantine."

Defiance Democrat, September 27, 1907 - "First Victim of Diphtheria. Alfred Merrihugh, eleven year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Merrihugh, died Sunday morning at 4 o'clock after an illness of eight days duration with diphtheria. The funeral service occurred Sunday morning at 10."

Defiance Democrat, Aug 13, 1909 - "HAROLD McGOVNEY

After suffering for several weeks with nasal diphtheria, Harold McGovney, son of Mr. and Mrs. John McGovney of Holgate Avenue, died this afternoon at about 2 o'clock. The little boy contracted the dreaded disease while on a visit in southern Ohio with his mother.

When the disease became apparent, every possible care was given and up until the last evening hopes for his recovery were bright. The boy made a very brave fight for life and for a while it seemed that he would conquer, but the battle became too severe, and he gave up last evening and passed away this afternoon. The funeral arrangements have not yet been made."

Defiance Daily Crescent, October 2, 1911 -"St. John's Parochial School voluntarily closed as the result of diphtheria in school and exposure. Eight cases in the school; eleven cases in Defiance"

Burials happened quickly to quell the spread of the disease. Without a vaccine, little could be done to save diphtheria victims. Bleeding, purgatives to cleanse the system, inhaling steam, sucking on ice, and small shots of brandy were some of the many ineffective treatments tried.

In the late 1890s, the diphtheria toxin was discovered, and by 1901 a serum to treat it was found.  It took until 1923 to research and prepare an effective vaccine to help eradicate the disease. In the late 1920s, the vaccine became more available.

In the meantime, the disease again invaded Defiance in the 1920s.

Sept 27, 1921 - "Four Families are Quarantine as diphtheria and scarlet fever make their appearance in Defiance again."

By 1922, an announcement was made that the city was again free of diphtheria. But it came back.

Crescent-News, October 22, 1927 - "Child, 4, Dies of Diphtheria. First Fatality in Three Years. Immunization Urged. Livia King, 4 1/2 at home of parents, Mr. and Mrs. Russell King, 102 East Street.

Immunizations available at health department. 

Crescent-News, August 27, 1923

"DIPHTHERIA CAUSES MORE DEATHS HERE THAN OHIO AVERAGE

Continuing a study of disease death rates by counties, C. E. Lively, professor of sociology at the Ohio State University, finds that diphtheria has been on the average for the past 12 years, more fatal in Defiance County than over the state as a whole."

Unfortunately, there are still unimmunized areas of the world. In 2025, Nigeria reported 8,585 cases, and of those, 884 people died - children and young adults.