Infectious diseases caused by Corynebacterium urealyticum in companion animals

The first part of the paper is a comprehensive literature review of the taxonomic, bacteriological and epidemiological features of Corynebacterium urealyticum, its most important risk factors, as well as the infectious diseases caused by this bacterium, described in human and veterinary medicine. Corynebacterium urealyticum is a Gram-positive and urease-positive, aerobic, lipophi ic, slow -growing opportunistic pathogen with diphtheroid (non-sporulating, pleomorphic bacillus) morphology. Normally it is part of the healthy skin and genital microbiota in cats, dogs, and humans. As a pathogen, however, it has strong ability to adhere to uroepithelial cells, making individuals with risk factors susceptible to urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis or lower urinary tract diseases. In rare cases it may also cause sepsis, endocarditis, and other soft tissue infections. Some chronic cases of urinary tract infections can lead to the ercrustation of the urinary tract mucosa with struvite or apatite uroliths originating from the biofilm formed by this bacterium and due to its strong urease activity. Most of the Corynebacterium urealyticum isolates are multidrug resistant, which makes the organism difficult to eradicate. The key risk factors of the infection are immunocompromised status, long or frequent urologic procedures (and surgeries), urinary obstruction or urine stagnation, as well as long-term or inadequate use of antibiotics. The appropriate therapy should be based on antibiotic susceptibility testing after the identification of the bacteria and performed by combining systemic ant microbial agents with local antibiotics or disinfectants. In the second part of the article, the authors report a successful treatment of a dog's multi drug resistart Corynebacterium urealyticum infection causing encrusted cystitis with systemic and local (intravesical) oxytetracycline.