HealthSeptember 3, 2026
antitoxin
AN-ti-tok-sin
Definition
A medical preparation containing antibodies that neutralize the toxins produced by certain bacteria, used here to treat patients with diphtheria.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against' and 'toxikon' meaning 'poison' (originally 'poison for arrows'). It entered English in the late 19th century to describe substances that counteract bacterial toxins.
In the news
The article identifies the difficulty of obtaining antitoxin as one of the major challenges health officials face in managing the ongoing diphtheria outbreak.
Plateau diphtheria death toll rises to 27 as Kano tasks monarchs on immunisation
Read the full article ↗The Guardian Nigeria News