Micro| Corynebacterium Diptheriae

3.09 Corynebacterium Diptheriae Microbiology review for the USMLE Step 1 Exam Corynebacterium diphtheriae is an aerobic gram positive rod that causes diphtheria, commonly spreads through respiratory droplets C. diphtheriae produces an exotoxin called diphtheria toxin which can cause systemic effects by inactivating elongation factor (EF-2) via ADP-ribosylation and shutting down protein synthesis Diphtheria causes fever, sore throat, croup-like cough, pseudomembranous pharyngitis, severe cervical lymphadenopathy, myocarditis and cardiac arrhythmias Cutaneous diphtheria involves ulcerative lesions or cellulitis on the skin that can occur independently of respiratory diphtheria Vaccine available and there are not many cases of it in the US, tends to have an outsized effect on developing countries Risk factors for C. diphtheriae infection include IV drug use, homelessness, and crowded living conditions Treatment involves diphtheria antitoxin and penicillin or erythromycin