title: Nontoxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolated from intravenous drug users.
abstract: During a prospective study 117 intravenous drug users were screened for infection with Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Nontoxigenic C. diphtheriae was found in 5 of 132 throat swab specimens and in 5 of 28 skin ulcer specimens taken from July 1991 to April 1992. When phenotypic and molecular typing methods were used, these 10 strains were shown to belong to a single clone. During the same period no strain was isolated from 200 controls. Clinical manifestations of infection were not clearly attributable to C. diphtheriae--no typical membranous pharyngitis was present. The presence of a single clone among homeless intravenous drug users in Zurich indicates the presence of C. diphtheriae in parts of the population with poor standards of hygiene and low socioeconomic status.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gruner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Opravil
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altwegg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Graevenitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000382:microbiology*; D013557:Switzerland; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000382:microbiology