title: A case of cutaneous diphtheria in New Zealand.
abstract: We report the case of an adult male who contracted cutaneous diphtheria after receiving a tattoo in Samoa. The infection required hospital admission. The Regional Public Health Service conducted urgent contact tracing. We review the techniques employed in traditional tattooing and highlight the importance of considering C. diphtheriae as a causative organism in cutaneous infection acquired in the tropics.
authors.forename: David C R
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: McGouran
authors.forename: Stanley K F
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hingston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D018947:Samoa; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014195:Travel