Disease: Corynebacterium ulcerans

Pathogen

Corynebacterium ulcerans is a bacterium that belongs to the same family as the C. diphtheriae bacterium. This bacterium produces a toxin (exotoxin) that damages tissues.

Susceptible species

  1. ulcerans is found in multiple species of wild mammals, including hedgehogs, wild boars, and roe deer. The bacterium is also found in kept animals, including cats, dogs, horses, cattle, and pigs.

 

  1. Eisenberg, T., Kutzer, P., Peters, M., Sing, A., Matthias, C., & Rau, J. (2014). Nontoxigenic tox-bearing Corynebacterium ulcerans Infection among Game Animals, Germany. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 20(3), 448-452. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2003.130423
  2. Berger, A., Dangel, A., Peters, M., Mühldorfer, K., Braune, S., Eisenberg, T., Szentiks, C.A., Rau, J., Konrad, R., Hörmansdorfer, S., Ackermann, N., & Sing, A. (2019). Tox-positive Corynebacterium ulcerans in hedgehogs, Germany. Emerging Microbes & Infections, 8(1), 211-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2018.1562312
  3. Martel, A., Boyen, F., Rau, J., Eisenberg, T., Sing, A., Berger, A., Chiers, K., Van Praet, S., Verbanck, S., Vervaeke, M., & Pasmans, F. (2021). Widespread Disease in Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) Caused by Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 27(10), 2686-2690. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2710.203335
  4. De Zoysa, A., Hawkey, P. M., Engler, K., George, R., Mann, G., Reilly, W., Taylor, D., & Efstratiou, A. (2005). Characterization of toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans strains isolated from humans and domestic cats in the United Kingdom. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 43(9), 4377-4381. https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.43.9.4377-4381.2005
  5. Abbott, Y., Efstratiou, A., Brennan, G., Hallanan, S., Leggett, B., Leonard, F. C., Markey, B.K., Tuite, C., & Fry, N. K. (2020). Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans associated with upper respiratory infections in cats and dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 61(9), 554-560. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13185
  6. Zendri, F., Isgren, C. M., Sinovich, M., Richards-Rios, P., Hopkins, K. L., Russell, K., Groves, N., Litt, D., Fry, N.K., & Timofte, D. (2021). Case report: Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans diphtheria-like infection in a horse in the United Kingdom. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 650238. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.650238
  7. Hommez, J., Devriese, L. A., Vaneechoutte, M., Riegel, P., Butaye, P., & Haesebrouck, F. (1999). Identification of nonlipophilic corynebacteria isolated from dairy cows with mastitis. Journal of clinical microbiology, 37(4), 954-957. https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.37.4.954-957.1999
  8. Schuhegger, R., Schoerner, C., Dlugaiczyk, J., Lichtenfeld, I., Trouillier, A., Zeller-Peronnet, V., Busch, U., Berger, A., Kugler, R., Hörmansdorfer, S., & Sing, A. (2009). Pigs as source for toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans. Emerging infectious diseases, 15(8), 1314. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1508.081568

Signs in animals

The area of infection, where the toxins are produced, determines the type of symptoms. Infection of the airways can cause difficulty with breathing or eating, while infection of the skin can cause ulcerations.

Infection of people

  1. ulcerans is a zoonosis and can, like the bacterium C. diphtheriae, produce an exotoxin that causes diphtheria in people. This can develop into damage to the tissues in which the bacterium is found, for example the skin or lungs. As far as is known, people do not transmit the bacterium C. ulcerans via human to human contact.

 

Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu. (z.d.). Infecties veroorzaakt door Corynebacterium ulcerans en andere zoönotische Corynebacterium species. Geraadpleegd op 12 februari 2025, van https://lci.rivm.nl/difterie-bijlage-c-ulcerans

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