ISOLATION OF C-DIPHTHERIAE SUBSP BELFANTI IN A COW WITH MULTIFOCAL CHRONIC-ACTIVE DERMATITIS

Diphtheria is an acute communicable disease of man caused by C. diphth eriae. Pharyngeal and cutaneous forms are described, where from both t oxigenic and nontoxigenic strains can be isolated. The occurrence of C . diphtheriae in dairy cattle has already been reported in the past. T he pathogens were isolated from ulcerated teats and from the milk of c ows with mastitis as well. These animals were considered to play a rol e in the transmission of the disease to man. This paper describes the isolation and characterization of C. diphtheriae in a 4 years old cow with generalized, partly ulcerative and purulent skin lesions. Bacteri ological examination revealed the presence of very numerous corynebact erium-like organisms, which were characterized as C. diphtheriae subsp . belfanti, a nontoxigenic subspecies of C. diphtheriae. The significa nce of C. diphtheriae in veterinary medicine and the possible role of cattle as a reservoir of these organisms are discussed.