Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans in a fatal human case and her feline contacts, France, March 2014

S Vandentorren; N Guiso; E Badell; P Boisrenoult; M Micaelo; G Troché; P Lecouls; M J Moquet; O Patey; E Belchior

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES2014.19.38.20910

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Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans in a fatal human case and her feline contacts, France, March 2014
S Vandentorren¹ , N Guiso² , E Badell² , P Boisrenoult³ , M Micaelo⁴ , G Troché⁵ , P Lecouls⁶ , M J Moquet⁷ , O Patey⁸ , E Belchior⁹
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Affiliations: ¹ Regional office of the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance – Ile de France and Champagne Ardenne, Paris, France ² Institut Pasteur, National reference centre for Corynebacteria of the diphtheria complex, Paris, France ³ Department of orthopaedic and trauma surgery , Central Hospital of Versailles, Versailles, France ⁴ Department of Microbiology, Central Hospital of Versailles, Versailles, France ⁵ Department of Medical-surgical reanimation , Central Hospital of Versailles, Versailles, France ⁶ Direction for the protection of populations of Yvelines, Versailles, France ⁷ Regional Health Agency of Ile de France, Paris, France ⁸ Intermunicipal Central Hospital, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France ⁹ Department of infectious diseases, French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, Saint-Maurice, France

Correspondence:
S Vandentorren
stephanie.vandentorren ars.sante.fr
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Citation style for this article: Vandentorren S, Guiso N, Badell E, Boisrenoult P, Micaelo M, Troché G, Lecouls P, Moquet M J, Patey O, Belchior E. Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans in a fatal human case and her feline contacts, France, March 2014. Euro Surveill. 2014;19(38):pii=20910. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES2014.19.38.20910 Received: 14 Sept 2014

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Abstract

In March 2014, a person in their eighties who was diagnosed with extensive cellulitis due to toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans died from multiple organ failure. Environmental investigation also isolated C. ulcerans in biological samples from two stray cats in contact with the case. This finding provides further evidence that pets can carry toxigenic C. ulcerans and may be a source of the infection in humans.