Ep 33: Diphtheria and Dog Sleds: Racing Antitoxin Across Alaska in 1925

In January 1925, a deadly diphtheria outbreak threatened the small, frozen town of Nome and the only hope was antitoxin that had to be rushed across Alaska by dog sled in the middle of a massive, subzero blizzard. In this episode, we break down the science of diphtheria, the relay that became known as the Great Serum Run, and the real story behind Togo, Balto, and the race that saved lives. Citations:The Cruelest Miles by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury alaskaweb.org⁠https://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/vaccines/index.html⁠ (tdap resource)⁠https://www.alaskamushingschool.com/learn/1925-serum-run-to-nome/⁠ (fav resource, has pictures at bottom of page)https://www.history.com/articles/the-sled-dog-relay-that-inspired-the-iditarodhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560911/https://apnews.com/article/alaska-diphtheria-outbreak-nome-anniversary-dogs-balto-3fc1889c11e5c310c1cacb186f841125https://www.cmnh.org/learn/science-blog/2025/01/23/100-years-after-the-great-serum-run-baltos-legacy-endureshttps://archives.alaska.gov/education/serum.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/about/index.html