Caprine Enteritis Associated with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infection

Creation of Antibody Immunoassay Test Systems for Indication of Enteropathogenic Yersinia

3 immunoassay test systems based on antibodies obtained as a result of immunization of rabbits with one of the antigens: disintegrated membranes (DM) Y. enterocolitica, DM Y. pseudotuberculosis and lipopolysaccharide Y. pseudotuberculosis were created. The best diagnostic properties were possessed by a test system based on antibodies to Y. pseudotuberculosis DM. It showed high titers of antibodies to various serovars of Y. pseudotuberculosis (1:25600-1:51200), incl. to microbe strains isolated from farm animals, and low titers to Y. enterocolitica (1:200). In the accumulation media with pig excrements seeded with Yersinia, the experimental test system detected Y. pseudotuberculosis already on the 3rd day of “cold enrichment” provided that 50 or more Yersinia cells per ml were inoculated into the accumulation medium together with excrements.

Research Relevant Background Lesions and Conditions: Ferrets, Dogs, Swine, Sheep, and Goats

Animal models provide a valuable tool and resource for biomedical researchers as they investigate biological processes, disease pathogenesis, novel therapies, and toxicologic studies. Interpretation of animal model data requires knowledge not only of the processes/diseases being studied but also awareness of spontaneous conditions and background lesions in the model that can influence or even confound the study results. Species, breed/stock, sex, age, anatomy, physiology, diseases (noninfectious and infectious), and neoplastic processes are model features that can impact the results as well as study interpretation. Here, we review these features in several common laboratory animal species, including ferret, dog (beagle), pig, sheep, and goats.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections in goats and other animals diagnosed at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System: 1990–2012

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a recognized zoonotic food-borne pathogen; however, little is known about the ecology and epidemiology of diseases caused by the bacterium in California. The objective of the current study was to contribute to the knowledge of the diseases caused by Y. pseudotuberculosis in goats, the animal species most frequently reported with clinical yersiniosis to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, to better understand the epidemiology of this disease. A 23-year retrospective study was conducted to characterize the syndromes caused by the bacterium in goats and their temporospatial distribution, and to determine the number of cases in other animal species. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis–associated disease was diagnosed in 42 goats from 21 counties, with a strong seasonality in winter and spring. Most cases (88%) were observed within particular years (1999, 2004–2006, 2010–2011). The most frequently diagnosed syndrome was enteritis and/or typhlocolitis (64.3%), followed by abscessation (14.3%), abortion (11.9%), conjunctivitis (4.75%), and hepatitis (4.75%). Among other animal species, 59 cases were diagnosed in non-poultry avian species and 33 in mammals other than goats.

Population structure of the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis complex according to multilocus sequence typing

Multilocus sequence analysis of 417 strains of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis revealed that it is a complex of four populations, three of which have been previously assigned species status [Y. pseudotuberculosis sensu stricto (s.s.), Yersinia pestis and Yersinia similis] and a fourth population, which we refer to as the Korean group, which may be in the process of speciation. We detected clear signs of recombination within Y. pseudotuberculosis s.s. as well as imports from Y. similis and the Korean group. The sources of genetic diversification within Y. pseudotuberculosis s.s. were approximately equally divided between recombination and mutation, whereas recombination has not yet been demonstrated in Y. pestis, which is also much more genetically monomorphic than is Y. pseudotuberculosis s.s. Most Y. pseudotuberculosis s.s. belong to a diffuse group of sequence types lacking clear population structure, although this species contains a melibiose-negative clade that is present globally in domesticated animals. Yersinia  similis corresponds to the previously identified Y. pseudotuberculosis genetic type G4, which is probably not pathogenic because it lacks the virulence factors that are typical for Y. pseudotuberculosis s.s. In contrast, Y. pseudotuberculosis s.s., the Korean group and Y. pestis can all cause disease in humans.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection in a suckler calf in the United Kingdom: a case report

Enterocolitis caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was identified by bacterial culture and histopathology in a 5-month old suckler calf. No other significant enteric pathogens were detected. Diagnosis of this condition can be missed if selective media are not used for bacteriology and if histopathology is not attempted or the alimentary tract is unsuitable for examination. This is the first case report of Y. pseudotuberculosis infection in a calf in the United Kingdom.