Cutaneous diphtheria in the urban poor population of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: a 10-year review

J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Jul;49(7):2664-6. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00362-11. Epub 2011 Apr 27.

Abstract

Between 1998 and 2007, records from 33 patients with cutaneous diphtheria from Vancouver's inner city were reviewed. Cases were associated with injection drug use and poverty. Coinfections with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum occurred. Corynebacterium diphtheriae is endemic in Vancouver's urban core, with strains of multilocus sequence type (MLST) 76 predominating.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Arcanobacterium / isolation & purification
  • British Columbia / epidemiology
  • Comorbidity
  • Corynebacterium diphtheriae / isolation & purification*
  • Diphtheria / epidemiology*
  • Endemic Diseases*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Poverty
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / epidemiology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / isolation & purification
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous / complications
  • Young Adult