NONTOXIGENIC CORYNEBACTERIUM-DIPHTHERIAE ISOLATED FROM INTRAVENOUS-DRUG-USERS

During a prospective study 117 intravenous drug users were screened fo r infection with Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Nontoxigenic C. diphther iae was found in 5 of 132 throat swab specimens and in 5 of 28 skin ul cer specimens taken from July 1991 to April 1992. When phenotypic and molecular typing methods were used, these 10 strains were shown to bel ong to a single clone. During the same period no strain was isolated f rom 200 controls. Clinical manifestations of infection were not clearl y attributable to C. diphtheriae-no typical membranous pharyngitis was present. The presence of a single clone among homeless intravenous dr ug users in Zurich indicates the presence of C. diphtheriae in parts o f the population with poor standards of hygiene and low socioeconomic status.