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.