Very good reply. In the linked **Wikipedia** article, it mentions that the town doctor had allowed his diphtheria supply to expire. Okaaay, bad doc. See that all the time. Same article suggests diphtheria feared to be up to 100% fatal: "Without antitoxin, it was expected that in the surrounding region's population of around 10,000 people the mortality rate could be close to 100 percent.". But in the **Wikipedia** article specifically on the disease: "Corynebacterium diphtheriae.[1] **Most infections are asymptomatic** or have a mild clinical course, but in **some** outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die." And regarding that "surrounding region's population of around 10,000 people", keep in mind that this was the dead of winter in Alaska, where most folks lived very remotely and had zero contact with sickly people way off in Nome. It's all just more of the same old scare tactics. What then is the truth? As always, the truth is buried and unknowable. The story is bullshit. All these years later and even compromised Wikipedia can't get its make-believe facts straight. The only thing I believe is that a PR stunt with some dogs took place. Some lives may have been saved, and if so, that's good.