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Volume 27, Number 10—October 2021
Dispatch

Widespread Disease in Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) Caused by Toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans

An MartelComments to Author , Filip Boyen, Jörg Rau, Tobias Eisenberg, Andreas Sing, Anja Berger, Koen Chiers, Sarah Van Praet, Serge Verbanck, Muriel Vervaeke, and Frank Pasmans
Author affiliations: Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium (A. Martel, F. Boyen, K. Chiers, S. Van Praet, S. Verbanck, F. Pasmans); Chemical and Veterinary Analysis Agency Stuttgart, Fellbach, Germany (J. Rau); Hessian State Laboratory, Giessen, Germany (T. Eisenberg); Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Germany (A. Sing, A. Berger); Agency for Nature and Forests, Brussels, Belgium (M. Vervaeke)

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Figure 2

Dendrogram of Fourier-transformed infrared spectra of Corynebacterium spp. strains obtained from hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), Flanders, Belgium, compared with spectra from several C. ulcerans isolates, including isolates from free-roaming red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and wild boars (Sus scrofa scrofa) (1) and other well characterized and available isolates from animals and humans. Additional details for isolates were determined by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (8). Country of origin: BEL, Belgium (region: Ge, Geraardsbergen [green]; Me, Merelbeke [blue]; Ou, Oudsbergen [yellow]); BE, Berlin; BY, Bavaria; DEU, Germany. NT, no tox gene; NTTB, nontoxic but tox-bearing (these are isolates that have the toxin gene, but do not produce toxins); T, type strain; Tox, toxigenic; tox-w, toxigenic (weak).

Figure 2. Dendrogram of Fourier-transformed infrared spectra of Corynebacterium spp. strains obtained from hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), Flanders, Belgium, compared with spectra from several C. ulcerans isolates, including isolates from free-roaming red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and wild boars (Sus scrofa scrofa) (1) and other well characterized and available isolates from animals and humans. Additional details for isolates were determined by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (8). Country of origin: BEL, Belgium (region: Ge, Geraardsbergen [green]; Me, Merelbeke [blue]; Ou, Oudsbergen [yellow]); BE, Berlin; BY, Bavaria; DEU, Germany. NT, no tox gene; NTTB, nontoxic but tox-bearing (these are isolates that have the toxin gene, but do not produce toxins); T, type strain; Tox, toxigenic; tox-w, toxigenic (weak).

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