ABSTRACT
The frequency and severity of human infections associated with Corynebacterium ulcerans appear to be increasing in different countries. Here, we describe the first C. ulcerans strain producing a diphtheria-like toxin isolated from an elderly woman with a fatal pulmonary infection and a history of leg skin ulcers in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area.
Subject(s)
Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Bronchopneumonia/microbiology , Corynebacterium Infections/microbiology , Corynebacterium/metabolism , Diphtheria Toxoid/biosynthesis , Leg Ulcer/microbiology , Brazil/epidemiology , Bronchopneumonia/diagnosis , Corynebacterium Infections/diagnosis , Corynebacterium Infections/epidemiology , Corynebacterium/isolation & purification , Fatal Outcome , Leg Ulcer/diagnosisABSTRACT
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, a Gram-positive intracellular pathogen, is the etiological agent of caseous lymphadenitis or CLA. This bacterium infects goats and sheep and causes great economic losses worldwide annually, mainly for goat producers. Despite its importance, CLA is still poorly characterized. However, with advances in the genomic field, many C. pseudotuberculosis genes have already been characterized, mainly those related to virulence such as phospholipase D. Here, we examined the use of the several available genes of C. pseudotuberculosis and reviewed their applications in vaccine construction, more efficient diagnostics for CLA, and control of this disease, among other applications.