Which of the following causes both cutaneous and respiratory diphtheria: (A) Corynebacterium diphtheria, (B) Corynebacterium ulcerans, (C) Corynebacterium xerosis, (D) Corynebacterium hoffmanii
Answer is A. C.diptheria causes both cutaneous and respiratory diphtheria. In the tropics, diphtheria bacilli infect the skin more than the respiratory tract. toxigenic diphtheria persists in the skin over three years. Cutaneous infections are secondary to pre-existing skin lesions. Ref: Textbook of microbiology; Ananthanarayan and paniker's; Pg 241; 10th Edition