Case Report: Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans Diphtheria-Like Infection in a Horse in the United Kingdom
Flavia Zendri, C. M. Isgren, Matthew Sinovich, Peter Richards, Katie L. Hopkins, Katherine Russell, Natalie Groves, David Litt, Norman K. Fry, Dorina Timofte
Abstract
Corynebacterium ulcerans ( C. ulcerans ) may cause diphtheria in humans and can be carried by a wide range of animal species including dairy cows and, more recently, dogs and cats that have been increasingly involved in zoonotic trasmission. We isolated and characterized, by WGS, a toxigenic C. ulcerans strain from a diseased horse in the United Kingdom showing clinical signs of respiratory diphtheria comparable to those seen in people. Our results indicate a role for horses as reservoirs for zoonotic C. ulcerans .
Topics & Concepts
Corynebacterium diphtheriaeDiphtheriaHorseMicrobiologyBiologyDiphtheria toxinVirologyToxinVaccinationPaleontologyDiphtheria, Corynebacterium, and TetanusVeterinary medicine and infectious diseasesClostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research