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Diphtheria represents a serious infectious disease with high epidemic potential. Could be preventable by vaccination (minimum 95% vaccination coverage at 1 year; 90% in adults). It is considered as a re-emerging disease, exemplified by diphtheria epidemic in the period 1991-1995 in all CIS countries. In Europe, in 2008-2010, 77 cases of diphtheria were clinically and microbiologically confirmed. "Imported" toxigenic strains of C. diphtheriae are circulating in developing countries, where diphtheria is still endemic. This disease still reprents a threat because of sporadically occuring in developed countries. In Romania, there were no reported diphtheria cases since 1989. Number of non-toxigenic strains isolated in territory ranged from 356 isolates in 1995 and 40 in 2007. Currently, we cannot establish if there is a real and significant reduction of C. diphtheriae reported strains or this is due to a lower interest for surveillance by laboratory, in the country. It is also not known the involvement in pathology, in Romania, for other species belonging to the genus Corynebacterium (including for immunocompromised patients). The objective of this paper is to produce and disseminate a diagnostic algorithm for suspected diphtheria cases and identification to species level of all strains belonging to the genus Corynebacterium. Diagnostic algorithm will be available to Public Health Authorities in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]