Transmission of toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans infection with airway obstruction from cats to a human

Abstract

Background Infections caused by Corynebacterium ulcerans, a zoonotic pathogen, have been reported worldwide. This microorganism is known to produce the diphtheria toxin and cause diphtheria‐like illness. Case presentation A 63‐year‐old woman with a history of diabetes and hypertension developed cold and flu‐like symptoms, which gradually progressed into respiratory distress. Therefore, the patient was intubated for dyspnea with pseudomembrane formation. A toxin‐producing strain of C. ulcerans was identified, also detected in the patient’s domestic cats. Multilocus sequence typing confirmed all strains, including the patient’s isolate, as ST337. Conclusion Multilocus sequence typing revealed zoonotic transmission of C. ulcerans from domestic cats to a human.

Keywords

• Cat
• diphtheria
• pseudomembrane
• toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans
• zoonosis