Diphtheria Toxin-Producing Corynebacterium ramonii in Inner-City Population, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2019-2023

Christopher F Lowe; Gordon Ritchie; Chiara Crestani; Miguel Imperial; Nancy Matic; Michael Payne; Aleksandra Stefanovic; Diana Whellams; Sylvain Brisse; Marc G Romney

doi:10.3201/eid3102.241472

Diphtheria Toxin-Producing Corynebacterium ramonii in Inner-City Population, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2019-2023

Emerg Infect Dis. 2024 Jan 7;31(2). doi: 10.3201/eid3102.241472. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Christopher F Lowe, Gordon Ritchie, Chiara Crestani, Miguel Imperial, Nancy Matic, Michael Payne, Aleksandra Stefanovic, Diana Whellams, Sylvain Brisse, Marc G Romney

PMID: 39773277
DOI: 10.3201/eid3102.241472

Abstract

We conducted patient chart reviews and whole-genome sequencing of wound specimens containing presumptive Corynebacterium ulcerans from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, during July 2019-July 2023. Sequencing confirmed 8/14 isolates were C. ramonii and identified 2 distinct clusters. Molecular methods should be used to clinically differentiate potential toxin-producing Corynebacterium spp.

Keywords: British Columbia; Canada; Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Corynebacterium ramonii; Corynebacterium ulcerans; MALDI-TOF MS; Vancouver; bacteria; cutaneous diphtheria; diphtheria toxin; matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry; next-generation sequencing; zoonoses.