Molecularepidemiology and antimicrobial resistance determinants of Corynebacterium diphtheriae causing infections in Karachi, Pakistan, 2023-2024
International Journal of Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109058
- PMID
- 42624284
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7203945431
- Study type
- Genomic study
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The widespread presence of resistant strains and genetic diversity suggests that local infection control strategies and laboratory testing protocols may require updates to address emerging transmission patterns.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The investigation aimed to characterize the genetic variation, virulence markers, and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of pharyngeal C. diphtheriae isolates gathered during a regional outbreak.
Study design
Researchers conducted a cross-sectional genomic analysis of clinically confirmed bacterial isolates obtained from a single medical facility over an eighteen-month period.
Population and setting
The cohort consisted of patients treated at a Karachi tertiary hospital between August 2023 and October 2024, with a median patient age of seven years and a slight male predominance.
Main findings
Nearly ninety percent of samples carried the tox gene, yet fewer than one-third exhibited measurable toxin activity. Two primary sequence types dominated the collection, while approximately half of the isolates demonstrated multidrug resistance, frequently harboring sul1, ermX, and pbp2m genetic markers.
Public-health relevance
The widespread presence of resistant strains and genetic diversity suggests that local infection control strategies and laboratory testing protocols may require updates to address emerging transmission patterns.
Important limitations
Data were restricted to a single hospital setting, potentially limiting broader representativeness. The authors also noted inconsistencies between genetic predictions and actual toxin expression, indicating possible shortcomings in conventional diagnostic methodologies.
GIDS interpretation
This report documents baseline molecular characteristics and resistance profiles for a specific regional pathogen population. It serves as a historical reference for understanding strain distribution and diagnostic performance without establishing active monitoring alerts.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 12 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.