Characterization of Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans Strains Isolated from Humans and Domestic Cats in the United Kingdom

Abstract

In the United Kingdom there has been a marked increase in the number of human infections caused by toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans. During 2002 and 2003 the organism was also isolated from several domestic cats with bilateral nasal discharge. As C. ulcerans has never previously been isolated from cats, the 16S rRNA gene from three cat isolates was sequenced to confirm their species identities. Fifty clinical isolates from the United Kingdom isolated from 1986 to 2003 and seven cat isolates were characterized by ribotyping to determine whether the ribotypes of the cat isolates were genotypically related to those found for human clinical isolates. For comparison, the genotypes of 11 overseas isolates and 13 isolates from H. R. Carne's collection isolated between 1933 and 1979 were also determined. Strains isolated from domestic cats were found to exhibit the predominant ribotypes observed among human clinical isolates, suggesting that C. ulcerans isolated from cats could be a potential reservoir for human infection.

Characterization of Corynebacterium species in macaques

“…It is now the most common cause of diphtheria in the UK (Wagner et al, 2010). Recent literature also suggests that C. ulcerans isolated from domestic pigs (Schuhegger et al, 2009), domestic cats (De Zoysa et al, 2005) and dogs (Lartigue et al, 2005;Katsukawa et al, 2009) may be a reservoir for human infection. We have previously described C. ulcerans from a case of mastitis in a bonnet macaque and as a frequent contaminant of cephalic implants from macaques used in cognitive neuroscience (Fox & Frost, 1974;Bergin et al, 2000).…”

Prevalence of Corynebacterium ulcerans in dogs in Osaka, Japan

“…C. ulcerans causes purulent inflammatory diseases such as mastitis, lymphadenitis, dermatitis and respiratory infections in various domestic and wild animals. Human infections are caused by ingestion of untreated milk (Bostock et al, 1984) or by close contact with a variety of animals (De Zoysa et al, 2005;Hatanaka et al, 2011;Noguchi et al, 2009;Schuhegger et al, 2009;Tiwari et al, 2008;Yoshimura et al, 2010). Dogs are of pronounced importance because they are sometimes linked to serious human cases (Hogg et al, 2009;Lartigue et al, 2005).…”

“…Development of an effective vaccine to prevent animals from infection may provide an alternative to antibiotic treatment. Existing diphtheria toxoid vaccines are considered to be effective in protecting humans from toxaemic diseases caused by C. ulcerans (De Zoysa et al, 2005;Tiwari et al, 2008). However, the toxoid vaccine is not considered to prevent animals and humans from infection because its nature is chemically or physically detoxified diphtheria toxin.…”

Diphtheria in a 13 year old adolescent girl: Management challenges

“…Diphtheria is an acute toxic infection caused by Corynebacterium species, typically Corynebacterium diphtheriae and rarely toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium ulcerans 1,2,3 . The classic disease affects the upper respiratory tract with the formation of an adherent gray-white pseudomembrane in the infected place followed by systemic symptoms caused by elaboration of an exotoxin produced by the bacillus 1,4 .…”