Non-toxigenic tox gene-bearing Corynebacterium ulcerans in a traumatic ulcer from a human case and his asymptomatic dog.
A non-toxigenic tox gene-bearing (NTTB) Corynebacterium ulcerans was grown from the wound of a 61-year-old gardener and in a nasal specimen from the patient's asymptomatic dog. The two isolates were similar in terms of antibiogram, multilocus sequence typing (ST341), virulence genes, and only three SNPs were found to differentiate the two NTTB C. ulcerans isolates supporting a zoonotic transmission to or between the patient and his dog. Of interest, we found that the two C. ulcerans isolates, although not expressing the diphtheria toxin tox, possessed 13 out of 14 recently described virulence candidate genes.
Department of Microbiology & Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. Electronic address: kfu@ssi.dk.
Kurt
K
Fuursted
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Slagelse Hospital, DK-4200 Slagelse, Denmark.
Lillian Marie
LM
Søes
Department of Plastic Surgery and Breast Surgery, Roskilde Hospital, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
Bjørn Thomas
BT
Crewe
Department of Microbiology & Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.
Marc
M
Stegger
Department of Microbiology & Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark.
Paal Skytt
PS
Andersen
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Slagelse Hospital, DK-4200 Slagelse, Denmark.
Jens Jørgen
JJ
Christensen
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D014456:Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin; D037521:Virulence Factors
Dog; Next generation sequencing; Non-toxigenic but tox gene bearing (NTTB) Corynebacterium ulcerans; Whole-genome sequencing; Wound infection