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Whole genome sequencing suggests transmission of Corynebacterium diphtheriae-caused cutaneous diphtheria in two siblings, Germany, 2018
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View Affiliations Hide AffiliationsAndreas Singandreas.sing lgl.bayern.de
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Citation style for this article: . Whole genome sequencing suggests transmission of Corynebacterium diphtheriae-caused cutaneous diphtheria in two siblings, Germany, 2018. Euro Surveill. 2019;24(2):pii=1800683. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.2.1800683 Received: 21 Dec 2018; Accepted: 10 Jan 2019
Abstract
In September 2018, a child who had returned from Somalia to Germany presented with cutaneous diphtheria by toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae biovar mitis. The child’s sibling had superinfected insect bites harbouring also toxigenic C. diphtheriae. Next generation sequencing (NGS) revealed the same strain in both patients suggesting very recent human-to-human transmission. Epidemiological and NGS data suggest that the two cutaneous diphtheria cases constitute the first outbreak by toxigenic C. diphtheriae in Germany since the 1980s.
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