Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from the faeces of diarrhoeic swine

In April and May 1983, a total of 124 samples of faeces from 124 swine was examined for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica by a variety of isolation procedures. The organisms were recovered from 48˙4% of the swine, which all had diarrhoea. The strain belonged to serotypes 0: 3 and 0: 9 which are considered to be pathogenic for humans.     

Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from the faeces of diarrhoeic swine

In April and May 1983, a total of 124 samples of faeces from 124 swine was examined for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica by a variety of isolation procedures. The organisms were recovered from 48.4% of the swine, which all had diarrhoea. The strain belonged to serotypes 0:3 and 0:9 which are considered to be pathogenic for humans.     

Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species from foods in France

The occurrence of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species (Y. intermedia, Y. frederiksenii, Y. kristensenii) in foods from France was investigated by using different enrichment procedures. Initially, seven procedures were evaluated with pork products. These methods included a cold preenrichment in yeast extract-rose bengal broth or in phosphate-sorbitol-bile medium, followed by selective enrichment either in Pastone-sucrose-Tris-azide broth, in modified Rappaport broth, or in bile-oxalate-sorbose broth, and then isolation onto Hektoen or cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar with or without KOH pretreatment. The best enrichment procedure in terms of percentage of positive samples obtained within the shortest time was the combination of phosphate-sorbitol-bile and bile-oxalate-sorbose with alkali treatment before isolation onto cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar. This system was then used to analyze foods other than pork. An average contamination rate of 33.5% was observed for 666 samples analyzed; pork products were by far the most contaminated, especially the so-called tartinette (96.8% of positive samples) which contained up to five different strains of Yersinia spp. Environmental serogroups of Y. enterocolitica O:5, O:39,41, O:6, and O:7,8 were predominant, but no isolate of either human pathogenic type (O:3 or O:9) was obtained.     

Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species from foods in France.

The occurrence of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species (Y. intermedia, Y. frederiksenii, Y. kristensenii) in foods from France was investigated by using different enrichment procedures. Initially, seven procedures were evaluated with pork products. These methods included a cold preenrichment in yeast extract-rose bengal broth or in phosphate-sorbitol-bile medium, followed by selective enrichment either in Pastone-sucrose-Tris-azide broth, in modified Rappaport broth, or in bile-oxalate-sorbose broth, and then isolation onto Hektoen or cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar with or without KOH pretreatment. The best enrichment procedure in terms of percentage of positive samples obtained within the shortest time was the combination of phosphate-sorbitol-bile and bile-oxalate-sorbose with alkali treatment before isolation onto cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar. This system was then used to analyze foods other than pork. An average contamination rate of 33.5% was observed for 666 samples analyzed; pork products were by far the most contaminated, especially the so-called tartinette (96.8% of positive samples) which contained up to five different strains of Yersinia spp. Environmental serogroups of Y. enterocolitica O:5, O:39,41, O:6, and O:7,8 were predominant, but no isolate of either human pathogenic type (O:3 or O:9) was obtained.     

Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species from porcine samples obtained from an abattoir

H armon , M.C., S waminathan , B. & F orrest , J.C. 1984. Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species from porcine samples obtained from an abattoir. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 56 , 421–427.
Swabs of swine carcasses and samples of porcine tongue and trim obtained from an abattoir were examined for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species ( Y. intermedia, Y. kristensenii and Y. frederiksenii) . Three enrichment media (phosphate buffered saline, sorbitol-bile salts-phosphate buffered saline, and a modified Rappaport's broth) were compared at 4C for their efficiency of recovery of Y. enterocolitica and related species. Two secondary enrichment procedures (post-enrichment in modified Rappaport's broth for 2 d at 25C and treatment with 0.5% KOH in 0.5% NaCl) also were evaluated. The porcine isolates were characterised by biochemical and serological examination, speciation, and biotyping. Eight of 43 samples were positive for Y. enterocolitica and related species. The combination of incubation in sorbitol-bile salts-phosphate buffered saline for 21 d at 4C followed by post-enrichment in modified Rappaport's broth yielded maximum number of isolates. All isolates, except one, were avirulent as determined by auto-agglutination, calcium dependence at 37C, and HeLa cell invasiveness tests.     

Yersinia enterocolitica and related species isolated from wildlife in New York State

Fecal specimens for Yersinia screening were obtained from a variety of wild mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates throughout New York State. One specimen from each of 1,426 animals was examined. A total of 148 isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species were obtained from 133 (9.3%) of the animals. Y. enterocolitica was isolated from 100 (7%) of the animals tested, including 81 (10%) of 812 mammals and 19 (3.3%) of 573 birds. Y. intermedia, Y. frederiksenii, and Y. kristensenii were isolated from 39 (2.7%), 5 (0.35%), and 4 (0.28%) animals, respectively. The 81 Y. enterocolitica isolates from mammals belonged to 15 serogroups and included three pathogens: two isolates of typical serogroup 0:8, the "American strain," one from a gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and one from a porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum); and one isolate of serogroup 0:3, bacteriophage type IXb, the "Canadian strain," from a gray fox. The most prevalent serogroups recovered from mammals were 0:6,31 (16 isolates) and 0:5,27 (6 isolates). The 19 isolates of Y. enterocolitica from birds belonged to nine serogroups and included one serogroup 0:6,31 isolate from a common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) and two serogroup 0:5,27 isolates from great horned owls (Bubo virginianus).     

Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from raw milk

Four enrichment procedures were used for examining 131 raw milk samples for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica. Forty-two isolations were obtained from 19 pooled- (31.1 percent positive) and 10 individual-producer samples (14.3 percent positive). Enrichment by Butterfields phosphate buffer incubated at 4 degrees C for 14 days and then inoculation of modified Rappaport broth incubated at 23 degrees C for 5 days produced the greatest number of isolations. The majority of isolates were biotype 1, and many were atypical from clinical isolates in being rhamnose positive (47.6 percent), citrate positive (16.7 percent), and lactose positive (26.2 percent). Thirteen isolates were serotypable, belonging to seven different O serotypes, with O:5 occurring most frequently.     

Yersinia enterocolitica and related species isolated from wildlife in New York State.

Fecal specimens for Yersinia screening were obtained from a variety of wild mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates throughout New York State. One specimen from each of 1,426 animals was examined. A total of 148 isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica and related species were obtained from 133 (9.3%) of the animals. Y. enterocolitica was isolated from 100 (7%) of the animals tested, including 81 (10%) of 812 mammals and 19 (3.3%) of 573 birds. Y. intermedia, Y. frederiksenii, and Y. kristensenii were isolated from 39 (2.7%), 5 (0.35%), and 4 (0.28%) animals, respectively. The 81 Y. enterocolitica isolates from mammals belonged to 15 serogroups and included three pathogens: two isolates of typical serogroup 0:8, the "American strain," one from a gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and one from a porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum); and one isolate of serogroup 0:3, bacteriophage type IXb, the "Canadian strain," from a gray fox. The most prevalent serogroups recovered from mammals were 0:6,31 (16 isolates) and 0:5,27 (6 isolates). The 19 isolates of Y. enterocolitica from birds belonged to nine serogroups and included one serogroup 0:6,31 isolate from a common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) and two serogroup 0:5,27 isolates from great horned owls (Bubo virginianus).     

Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from raw milk.

Four enrichment procedures were used for examining 131 raw milk samples for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica. Forty-two isolations were obtained from 19 pooled- (31.1 percent positive) and 10 individual-producer samples (14.3 percent positive). Enrichment by Butterfields phosphate buffer incubated at 4 degrees C for 14 days and then inoculation of modified Rappaport broth incubated at 23 degrees C for 5 days produced the greatest number of isolations. The majority of isolates were biotype 1, and many were atypical from clinical isolates in being rhamnose positive (47.6 percent), citrate positive (16.7 percent), and lactose positive (26.2 percent). Thirteen isolates were serotypable, belonging to seven different O serotypes, with O:5 occurring most frequently.     

Isolation of virulent Yersinia enterocolitica from porcine tongues.

Thirty-one tongues from apparently normal, freshly slaughtered pigs were assayed for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica by different enrichment and postenrichment techniques. Sixteen different isolates were recovered, including six of serotype O:8, four of serotype O:6,30, two of serotype O:3 phage type IXb, and one each of serotypes O:13,7, O:18, and O:46. One isolate was not typable. Cold enrichment in phosphate-buffered saline followed by treatment with dilute KOH or subsequent enrichment in modified Rappaport broth recovered 12 and 7 isolates, respectively. Four of the same isolates were recovered from the same tongues by both procedures. Cold enrichment without a selective postenrichment treatment recovered two isolates. Direct enrichment in modified Rappaport broth or modified selenite broth was ineffective in recovering yersiniae, as no isolates were obtained by either method. All of the serotype O:8 isolates were virulent to mice, causing the death of adults after oral challenge. This is the first report that associates Y. enterocolitica serotype O:8 with a natural reservoir.     

Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from Milk and a Dairy Farm in Australia

Forty-eight isolates obtained from pasteurized milk and cream, raw milk, and various sites on a dairy farm were identified as Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 1 but were unusual in their ability to ferment lactose. The majority belonged to serotype 5a. Serotypes 5b, 6, 13/15 and 23/15 were also found. A few isolates were not typable. There is no evidence that strains isolated in this study are pathogenic for humans. Their presence in pasteurized products and growth at refrigeration temperatures are, however, cause for concern.     

Yersinia enterocolitica and related species isolated in the Pesaro and Urbino area (Italy) from 1981 to 1986

A total of 23 strains of yersinias, Y. enterocolitica (17), Y. frederiksenii (5) and Y. intermedia (1) characterized according to bio-serogroup and phage type, were isolated from human, animal and environmental samples during a 5-year period. It appears that in the Pesaro–Urbino area Yersinia spp. are infrequent and the strains of Y. enterocolitica belong to environmental and rarely to human pathogenic bioserogroups. and accepted 22 May 1989     

Yersinia enterocolitica and related species isolated in the Pesaro and Urbino area (Italy) from 1981 to 1986

A total of 23 strains of yersinias, Y. enterocolitica (17), Y. frederiksenii (5) and Y. intermedia (1) characterized according to bio-serogroup and phage type, were isolated from human, animal and environmental samples during a 5-year period. It appears that in the Pesaro-Urbino area Yersinia spp. are infrequent and the strains of Y. enterocolitica belong to environmental and rarely to human pathogenic bioserogroups.