Canada's First Case of a Multidrug-Resistant Corynebacterium diphtheriae Strain, Isolated from a Skin Abscess

Abstract

A toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae biovar mitis sequence type 136 (ST136) strain was recovered from a toe infection of an unvaccinated patient recently returned from India. The isolate was resistant to clindamycin, erythromycin (ermX positive), tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, intermediate to ceftriaxone and cefotaxime, and had high MICs for telithromycin and chloramphenicol but was sensitive to other drugs.