Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ulcerative skin lesions from Corynebacterium ulcerans in two dogs
By Carfora, Virginia et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2018·Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany "M. Aleandri", Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Non-toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans sequence types 325 and 339 isolated from two dogs with ulcerative lesions in Italy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs in Italy were brought to the vet with ulcerative skin lesions. Tests revealed they were infected with a type of bacteria called Corynebacterium ulcerans, which can cause skin infections in pets. Fortunately, the specific strains found in these dogs did not produce the more dangerous diphtheria toxin, but they did produce another harmful substance. The dogs received treatment, and early detection was key to managing their infections and preventing the spread of the bacteria.
People also search for: dog skin lesions treatment · Corynebacterium ulcerans in dogs · dog ulcerative skin infection
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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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29528813/