title: Molecular characterization of Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolates, Russia, 1957-1987.
abstract: In the 1990s, the Newly Independent and Baltic States of the former Soviet Union experienced the largest diphtheria outbreak since the 1960s; it was caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains of a unique clonal group. To address its origin, we studied 47 clinical isolates from Russia and demonstrated that this clonal group was an integral part of the endemic reservoir that existed in Russia at least 5 years before the epidemic began.
authors: Department of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway. vegards@fagmed.uit.no
authors: Vegard
authors: V
authors: Skogen
authors: Valentina V
authors: VV
authors: Cherkasova
authors: Nina
authors: N
authors: Maksimova
authors: Chung K
authors: CK
authors: Marston
authors: Haakon
authors: H
authors: Sjursen
authors: Michael W
authors: MW
authors: Reeves
authors: Ørjan
authors: Ø
authors: Olsvik
authors: Tanja
authors: T
authors: Popovic
mesh_terms: D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history; D005838:Genotype; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D021521:Ribotyping; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology