Corynebacterium ulcerans may cause diphtheria in humans and caseous lymphadenitis in animals. We isolated nontoxigenic tox-bearing C. ulcerans from 13 game animals in Germany. Our results indicate a role for game animals as reservoirs for zoonotic C. ulcerans.
Keywords: Capreolus capreolus; Corynebacterium ulcerans; Germany; Sus scrofa; bacteria; diphtheria; diphtheria toxin; nontoxigenic; pseudotuberculosis; toxigenic; wildlife; zoonoses.