Corynebacterium diphtheriae in a free-roaming red fox: case report and historical review on diphtheria in animals

Objectives Corynebacterium diphtheriae, the classical causative agent of diphtheria, is considered to be nearly restricted to humans. Here we report the first finding of a non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae biovar belfanti strain in a free-roaming wild animal.