Two cases of cutaneous diphtheria associated with occupational pig contact in Germany

Zoonoses Public Health. 2013 Dec;60(8):539-42. doi: 10.1111/zph.12031. Epub 2012 Dec 28.

Abstract

In 2010, two independent cases of cutaneous diphtheria caused by toxigenic C. ulcerans were identified in Germany. Both patients had intense occupational contact with pigs. Diagnostic work-up comprising biochemical differentiation, rpoB sequencing, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) analysis, real-time tox PCR and Elek test as well as public health measures including an intensified source tracing involving 83 asymptomatic pigs of an associated pig farm are presented.

Keywords: Corynebacterium ulcerans; Diphtheria; outbreak investigation; zoonosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier State / epidemiology
  • Carrier State / microbiology
  • Carrier State / veterinary
  • Corynebacterium / isolation & purification*
  • Diphtheria / diagnosis*
  • Diphtheria / drug therapy
  • Diphtheria / microbiology
  • Erythromycin / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Germany
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Occupational Exposure*
  • Prevalence
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Skin / microbiology
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / diagnosis*
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / drug therapy
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / microbiology
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Sus scrofa
  • Swine
  • Swine Diseases / epidemiology
  • Swine Diseases / microbiology*
  • Swine Diseases / transmission

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Erythromycin