title: Laboratory guidelines for the diagnosis of infections caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae and C. ulcerans. World Health Organization.
abstract: These guidelines represent an application of the World Health Organization European Region's manual for the laboratory diagnosis of diphtheria for laboratories in the United Kingdom (UK), but they could be applied to laboratories overseas. The manual was rewritten in response to the re-emergence of diphtheria in eastern Europe and the emergence of other infections caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae and C. ulcerans in the UK and overseas. The guidelines summarise our current recommendations and procedures for the microbiological diagnosis of infections caused by toxigenic and non-toxigenic isolates of corynebacteria, with particular reference to C. diphtheriae and C. ulcerans.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory, PHLS Central Public Health Laboratory, London. aefstratiou@phls.nhs.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Efstratiou
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013048:Specimen Handling
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin