Effect of Bacteriophage on Virulence of Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Abstract

The finding by Freeman that certain bacteriophages can induce certain strains of wholly avirulent C. diphtheriae to change into fully virulent, typical C. diphtheriae, has been fully confirmed in this laboratory. Preliminary data obtained here suggest that avirulent strains from clinical cases of diphtheria may be more susceptible to this change than strains from healthy carriers.