Sur l'inégalité de fréquence dans l'isolement de Yersinia enterocolitica de part et d'autre de la frontière Franco-Belge

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.

Recovery of Yersinia enterocolitica from patients with gastrointestinal disturbances. Lack of efficacy of alkali method

Direct plating medium on cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar was as effective as 2-day enrichment in peptone-sorbitol-bile salts broth for recovery of Yersinia enterocolitica from fecal samples of patients with gastrointestinal disturbances. Alkali treatment of fecal specimens failed to enhance recovery of Y. enterocolitica through either method.

Yersinia enterocolitica infections and pork: the missing link

To determine the risk factors for Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) infection in Belgium, which is the country with the highest incidence of this infection, 40 persons with YE infections due to serotype O:3 (n = 36) or O:9 (n = 4) were compared with matched controls. Most patients had acute gastroenteritis; 1 had a liver abscess. 20% were admitted to hospital; the mean duration of hospital stay was 9 days. YE infection was strongly associated with eating raw pork in the 2 weeks before onset (odds ratio = 12, p = 0.00002), a factor that accounted for 58% of the YE infections studied. 14 (18%) of 79 families surveyed at a well-baby clinic fed their children raw pork from a median age of 18 months. Specific control measures to reduce contamination and consumption of raw pork may reduce the incidence of YE infections.