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Grönthal TSC, Lehto AK, Aarnio SS, Eskola EK, Aimo-Koivisto EM, Karlsson T, Koskinen HI, Barkoff AM, He Q, Lienemann T, Rimhanen-Finne R, Mykkänen A. Pastern dermatitis outbreak associated with toxigenic and non-toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae and non-toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans at a horse stable in Finland, 2021. Zoonoses Public Health 2024; 71:127-135. [PMID: 37926867 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium ulcerans, when producing toxin, are the cause of diphtheria, a potentially life-threatening illness in humans. Horses (Equus ferus caballus) are known to be susceptible to infection that may manifest clinically on rare occasions. In late 2021 and early 2022, specimens from five horses suffering from pastern dermatitis were cultured at the Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. C. diphtheriae and/or C. ulcerans were recovered from all of these. This study aimed to (1) analyse the bacterial isolates and (2) describe the outbreak and identify possible sources of the infection and infection routes in the stable. METHODS AND RESULTS Susceptibility testing, PCR for the tox gene, and Elek test for toxin production in PCR-positive isolates were performed. Whole genome sequencing was also conducted to achieve high-resolution strain typing. An epidemiological survey was done by means of a semi-structured interview of horses' caretaker, and contact tracing was done among people at the stable. Two tox gene-positive, toxin-producing C. diphtheriae belonged to sequence type (ST) 822. Other C. diphtheriae (n = 2, ST828) and C. ulcerans (n = 2, ST325 and ST838) isolates did not carry the tox gene. The epidemiological investigation explored numerous possible routes of transmission, but the definite source of infection was not identified. All established human contacts tested negative for diphtheriae. All horses recovered after antimicrobial treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that C. diphtheriae and C. ulcerans may readily spread among horses at the same stable and complicate pastern dermatitis infections. These potentially zoonotic bacteria can cause outbreaks even in a country with a very low prevalence. Caretakers should be encouraged to wear gloves and practice good hand hygiene when treating infected skin lesions in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Sven Christer Grönthal
- Animal Health Diagnostics Unit, Finnish Food Authority, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Karoliina Lehto
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanna Sofia Aarnio
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eva Katarina Eskola
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elina Marjaana Aimo-Koivisto
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teemu Karlsson
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heli Irmeli Koskinen
- Infectious Disease Control and Vaccinations Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alex-Mikael Barkoff
- Institute of Biomedicine, Research Center for Infections and Immunity, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Qiushui He
- Institute of Biomedicine, Research Center for Infections and Immunity, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Taru Lienemann
- Animal Health Diagnostics Unit, Finnish Food Authority, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ruska Rimhanen-Finne
- Infectious Disease Control and Vaccinations Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Mykkänen
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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2
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Crestani C, Arcari G, Landier A, Passet V, Garnier D, Brémont S, Armatys N, Carmi-Leroy A, Toubiana J, Badell E, Brisse S. Corynebacterium ramonii sp. nov., a novel toxigenic member of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae species complex. Res Microbiol 2023; 174:104113. [PMID: 37572824 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2023.104113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
The Corynebacterium diphtheriae species complex comprises seven bacterial species, including Corynebacterium ulcerans, a zoonotic pathogen from multiple animal species. In this work, we characterise phenotypically and genotypically isolates belonging to two C. ulcerans lineages. Results from phylogenetic analyses, in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) and MALDI-TOF spectra differentiate lineage 2 from C. ulcerans lineage 1, which, together with their distinct transmission dynamics (probable human-to-human vs animal-to-human), indicates that lineage 2 is a separate Corynebacterium species, which we propose to name Corynebacterium ramonii. This species is of particular medical interest considering that its human-to-human transmission is likely, and that some C. ramonii isolates carry the diphtheria toxin gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Crestani
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France.
| | - Gabriele Arcari
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Annie Landier
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France
| | - Virginie Passet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France
| | - Dorian Garnier
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Brémont
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, French National Reference Center for Corynebacteria of the Diphtheriae Complex, Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Armatys
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France
| | - Annick Carmi-Leroy
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, French National Reference Center for Corynebacteria of the Diphtheriae Complex, Paris, France
| | - Julie Toubiana
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, French National Reference Center for Corynebacteria of the Diphtheriae Complex, Paris, France; Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Edgar Badell
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, French National Reference Center for Corynebacteria of the Diphtheriae Complex, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Brisse
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, French National Reference Center for Corynebacteria of the Diphtheriae Complex, Paris, France.
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3
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Zendri F, Isgren CM, Sinovich M, Richards-Rios P, Hopkins KL, Russell K, Groves N, Litt D, Fry NK, Timofte D. Case Report: Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans Diphtheria-Like Infection in a Horse in the United Kingdom. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:650238. [PMID: 34141732 PMCID: PMC8203807 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.650238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Corynebacterium ulcerans (C. ulcerans) may cause diphtheria in humans and can be carried by a wide range of animal species including dairy cows and, more recently, dogs and cats that have been increasingly involved in zoonotic trasmission. We isolated and characterized, by WGS, a toxigenic C. ulcerans strain from a diseased horse in the United Kingdom showing clinical signs of respiratory diphtheria comparable to those seen in people. Our results indicate a role for horses as reservoirs for zoonotic C. ulcerans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Zendri
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Cajsa Marie Isgren
- Department of Equine Clinical Science, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Sinovich
- Department of Equine Clinical Science, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Richards-Rios
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Katie L. Hopkins
- Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Russell
- Emerging Infections and Zoonoses section, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie Groves
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Litt
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom
| | - Norman K. Fry
- Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dorina Timofte
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
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4
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Carfora V, Scarampella F, Iurescia M, Donati V, Stravino F, Lorenzetti S, Menichini E, Franco A, Caprioli A, Battisti A. Non-toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans sequence types 325 and 339 isolated from two dogs with ulcerative lesions in Italy. J Vet Diagn Invest 2018. [PMID: 29528813 DOI: 10.1177/1040638718764786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Corynebacterium ulcerans, an emerging pathogen related to C. diphtheriae and C. pseudotuberculosis, is able to cause disease in both human and animal hosts. C. ulcerans may harbor acquired virulence factors such as dermonecrotic exotoxin phospholipase D (PLD) and the prophage-encoded diphtheria toxin (DT). Infections typically occur in persons reporting close contact with animals. In pets, C. ulcerans has been isolated from both asymptomatic carriers and clinically affected dogs and cats. We describe the isolation and characterization of C. ulcerans strains from 2 pet dogs with ulcerative lesions in Italy. The 2 isolates tested negative for both DT genes, but were PLD-producers and belonged to sequence types (STs) 325 and 339. These 2 cases highlight that C. ulcerans cutaneous infections might be underestimated in pets, given that many veterinary laboratories do not routinely consider and/or identify Corynebacterium species from cutaneous samples. Early detection and molecular typing of C. ulcerans is essential in order to implement effective treatment and to prevent diffusion and possible zoonotic transmission of certain STs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Carfora
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Fabia Scarampella
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Manuela Iurescia
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Valentina Donati
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Fiorentino Stravino
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Serena Lorenzetti
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Erika Menichini
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Alessia Franco
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Andrea Caprioli
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
| | - Antonio Battisti
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", General Diagnostic Department, Rome, Italy (Carfora, Iurescia, Donati, Stravino, Lorenzetti, Menichini, Franco, Caprioli, Battisti).,Animal Dermatology Practice, Milan, Italy (Scarampella)
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5
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Hacker E, Antunes CA, Mattos-Guaraldi AL, Burkovski A, Tauch A. Corynebacterium ulcerans, an emerging human pathogen. Future Microbiol 2016; 11:1191-208. [PMID: 27545005 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2016-0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
While formerly known infections of Corynebacterium ulcerans are rare and mainly associated with contact to infected cattle, C. ulcerans has become an emerging pathogen today. In Western Europe, cases of respiratory diphtheria caused by C. ulcerans have been reported more often than infections by Corynebacterium diphtheria, while systemic infections are also increasingly reported. Little is known about factors that contribute to host colonization and virulence of this zoonotic pathogen. Research in this field has received new impetus by the publication of several C. ulcerans genome sequences in the past years. This review gives a comprehensive overview of the basic knowledge of C. ulcerans, as well as the recent advances made in the analysis of putative virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Hacker
- Professur für Mikrobiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Camila A Antunes
- Professur für Mikrobiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Laboratory of Diphtheria and Clinically Important Corynebacteria (LDCIC), Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana L Mattos-Guaraldi
- Laboratory of Diphtheria and Clinically Important Corynebacteria (LDCIC), Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Andreas Burkovski
- Professur für Mikrobiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Tauch
- Centrum für Biotechnologie, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
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6
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Katsukawa C, Umeda K, Inamori I, Kosono Y, Tanigawa T, Komiya T, Iwaki M, Yamamoto A, Nakatsu S. Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans isolated from a wild bird (ural owl) and its feed (shrew-moles): comparison of molecular types with human isolates. BMC Res Notes 2016; 9:181. [PMID: 27000873 PMCID: PMC4802582 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-016-1979-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corynebacterium ulcerans is a pathogen causing diphtheria-like illness to humans. In contrast to diphtheria by Corynebacterium diphtheriae circulating mostly among humans, C. ulcerans infection is zoonotic. The present study aimed to clarify how a zoonotic pathogen C. ulcerans circulates among wild birds and animals. RESULTS By screening 380 birds, a single strain of toxigenic C. ulcerans was isolated from a carnivorous bird, ural owl (Strix uralensis). The bacterium was also isolated from two individuals of Japanese shrew-mole (Urotrichus talpoides), a food preference of the owl. Analysis by ribotyping showed that the owl and mole isolates were classified in a group, suggesting that C. ulcerans can be transmissible among wild birds and their prey animals. Moreover, our isolates were found to belong to a group of previously reported C. ulcerans isolates from dogs and a cat, which are known to serve as sources for human infection. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that the shrew-mole may be a potential reservoir of a zoonotic pathogen C. ulcerans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Katsukawa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health, 1-3-69 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka-Shi, Osaka, 537-0025, Japan
| | - Kaoru Umeda
- Department of Microbiology, Osaka City Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences, 8-34 Tojo-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka-Shi, Osaka, 543-0026, Japan
| | - Ikuko Inamori
- Nature Conservation Club of Soenji, 1-20-11 Himurodai, Hirakata-Shi, Osaka, 573-0115, Japan
| | - Yuka Kosono
- Bird Bander, 5-17 Suganodai, Nara-Shi, Nara, 631-0043, Japan
| | - Tomokazu Tanigawa
- Wild Living Thing Society of Hirakata, 1-24-10, Tanokuchiyama, Hirakata-Shi, Osaka, 573-0001, Japan
| | - Takako Komiya
- Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-Gakuen, Musashimurayama-Shi, Tokyo, 208-0011, Japan
| | - Masaaki Iwaki
- Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-Gakuen, Musashimurayama-Shi, Tokyo, 208-0011, Japan.
| | - Akihiko Yamamoto
- Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-Gakuen, Musashimurayama-Shi, Tokyo, 208-0011, Japan.,Division of Biosafety Control and Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1 Gakuen, Musashimurayama-Shi, Tokyo, 208-0011, Japan
| | - Susumu Nakatsu
- Nakatsu Animal Hospital, 2-2-15 Shorinji-cho nishi, Sakai-ku, Sakai-Shi, Osaka, 590-0960, Japan
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