Corynebacterium ulcerans infection in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

This is the first report of a Corynebacterium (C) ulcerans-infection in European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). The bacterium was isolated from a grapefruit sized abscess of an animal that had been shot. In addition to biochemical tests, the isolate was identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and partial sequencing of the rpoB gene. The isolated bacteria showed phospholipase D activity that could be demonstrated by reverse CAMP-test. A tox-gene could be detected by PCR but the Elek-test specific for diphtheria toxin failed.The isolate was compared to two C. ulcerans-strains isolated from wild boar (Sus scrofa) from the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg described recently.