Isolation and characterization of toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans from 2 closed colonies of cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Japan.

ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of infection by toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) housed in an animal facility in Japan. Samples from the pharynges of animals from 2 closed colonies (colony A, n = 47; colony B, n = 21) were cultured. C. ulcerans grew from 43% and 47% of the samples from colonies A and B, respectively. The toxigenicity of these isolates was assessed by using PCR analysis for the diphtheria toxin gene and the Elek test and Vero cytotoxicity assay to detect diphtheria toxin. The proportion of macaques harboring toxigenic C. ulcerans was 6% in colony A and 29% in colony B. Analysis of diphtheria antitoxin neutralization titers in the sera revealed that 23% and 33% of macaques from colonies A and B, resp

SUBMITTER: Hirai-Yuki A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3690433 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature