HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by von Hunolstein, C. Articles by Efstratiou, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by von Hunolstein, C. Articles by Efstratiou, A. Agricola Articles by von Hunolstein, C. Articles by Efstratiou, A.

Molecular epidemiology and characteristics of Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium ulcerans strains isolated in Italy during the 1990s

¹Laboratorio di Batteriologia e Micologia Medica, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá, Roma, Italy ²Unitá Ospedaliera Malattie Infettive, Azienda Ospedaliera, Trieste, Italy ³Unitá Organizzativa Microbiologia, Ospedale San Giacomo, Roma, Italy ⁴Laboratorio di Analisi Chimico-Cliniche e Microbiologiche, Ospedale G. Eastman, Roma, Italy ⁵Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy ⁶Universitá degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy ⁷Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory, PHLS Central Public Health Laboratory, London, UK

Correspondence Christina von Hunolstein cris.v.h{at}iss.it

Received 2 January 2002 Accepted 25 September 2002

Five cases of diphtheria were reported in Italy between January 1990 and June 2001. Three cases were confirmed microbiologically by the isolation of toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae (two cases) and Corynebacterium ulcerans (one case). Over the same period, 11 cases of non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae infection were reported to the Italian Public Health Institute, from which the causative organism was isolated from a skin infection in one case and from the throat in the other ten. Seven of the throat isolates were associated with fever, severe pharyngitis and tonsillitis and were all biotype gravis. Because there are no standardized breakpoints, the antimicrobial sensitivities of C. diphtheriae were determined in accordance with the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards guidelines for Streptococcus spp. other than Streptococcus pneumoniae. MICs for penicillin ranged between 0.125 and 0.250 mg l^-1 and 7 out of 11 strains had a minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC)/MIC ratio 32. All strains were sensitive to clindamycin (MIC 0.25 mg l^-1), rifampicin (MIC 1 mg l^-1) and tetracycline (MIC 2 mg l^-1), and showed moderate susceptibility to cefotaxime (MIC 0.75–1.5 mg l^-1). Molecular typing (ribotyping) demonstrated the presence of several distinct ribotypes. The ribotype designated ‘D11’ has been documented amongst strains isolated in the UK, Russia, Germany, Romania and Sweden. Ribotype ‘D75’ has only been documented in the UK. The C. ulcerans strain had a ribotype pattern identical to that found in recent isolates from the UK.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. K. Cassiday, L. C. Pawloski, T. Tiwari, G. N. Sanden, and P. P. Wilkins Analysis of Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans Strains Revealing Potential for False-Negative Real-Time PCR Results J. Clin. Microbiol., January 1, 2008; 46(1): 331 - 333. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Puliti, C. von Hunolstein, M. Marangi, F. Bistoni, and L. Tissi Experimental model of infection with non-toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae and development of septic arthritis J. Med. Microbiol., February 1, 2006; 55(2): 229 - 235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Mishra, R. J Dignan, C. F Hughes, and N. Hendel Corynebacterium Diphtheriae Endocarditis - Surgery for Some but Not All! Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann, June 1, 2005; 13(2): 119 - 126. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Mokrousov, O. Narvskaya, E. Limeschenko, and A. Vyazovaya Efficient Discrimination within a Corynebacterium diphtheriae Epidemic Clonal Group by a Novel Macroarray-Based Method J. Clin. Microbiol., April 1, 2005; 43(4): 1662 - 1668. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]