Molecular epidemiology ofYersinia enterocoliticainfections

Abstract

Yersinia enterocolitica is an important food-borne pathogen that can cause yersiniosis in humans and animals. The epidemiology of Y. enterocolitica infections is complex and remains poorly understood. Most cases of yersiniosis occur sporadically without an apparent source. The main sources of human infection are assumed to be pork and pork products, as pigs are a major reservoir of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica. However, no clear evidence shows that such a transmission route exists. Using PCR, the detection rate of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in raw pork products is high, which reinforces the assumption that these products are a transmission link between pigs and humans. Several different DNA-based methods have been used to characterize Y. enterocolitica strains. However, the high genetic similarity between strains and the predominating genotypes within the bio- and serotype have limited the benefit of these methods in epidemiological studies. Similar DNA patterns have been obtained among human and pig strains of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, corroborating the view that pigs are an important source of human yersiniosis. Indistinguishable genotypes have also been found between human strains and dog, cat, sheep and wild rodent strains, indicating that these animals are other possible infection sources for humans.

The detection of Yersinia enterocolitica in surface water by quantitative PCR amplification of the ail and yadA genes

“…Pigs have been identified as a major reservoir of human pathogenic strains (McNally et al 2004;Fredriksson-Ahomaa et al 2006). While most cases of Y. enterocolitica infection are sporadic and a source is rarely identified (Bottone 1997), Y. enterocolitica has been implicated in waterborne illness.…”

“…Pathogenic strains have been isolated from water in only a small number of studies (Fukushima et al 1984;Sandery et al 1996;Falcã o et al 2004). Fredriksson- Ahomaa et al 2006). One study that examined surface waters for pathogenic Y. enterocolitica showed detection rates of 1% and 10% using culture-based and PCR-based methods, respectively (Sandery et al 1996).…”

“…The chromosomal ail gene plays a role in the attachment and invasion of host cells (Bottone 1997), and has been found primarily in Y. enterocolitica serotypes associated with disease (Miller et al 1989;Revell & Miller 2001;Howard et al 2006). The yadA gene is located on the pYV virulence plasmid and codes for a protein that promotes adherence to mucus layers, attachment to host cells and enhances serum resistance (Bottone 1997;Cornelis et al 1998), and is only associated with pathogenic subtypes of Y. enterocolitica (Robins-Browne et al 1989;Fredriksson-Ahomaa et al 2006). In this paper we describe the development and evaluation of qPCR assays that target the ail and yadA genes to assess the prevalence of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in surface water from the Grand River watershed.…”

Yersinia enterocolitica-Specific Infection by Bacteriophages TG1 and ϕR1-RT Is Dependent on Temperature-Regulated Expression of the Phage Host Receptor OmpF

“…The predominant pathogenic strains associated with yersiniosis belong to bioserotypes 1B/O:8, 2/O:5,27, 2/O:9, 3/O:3, and 4/O:3, with the last being the most common in Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United States (1,2). From 2010 to 2012, 98% of all reported yersiniosis infections worldwide were acquired in Europe, and most (97%) were caused by Y. enterocolitica, with the remainder caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (10).…”

Molecular Characterization of Human Clinical Isolates ofYersinia enterocoliticaBioserotype 1B/O8 in Poland: Emergence and Dissemination of Three Highly Related Clones

“…To determine the genetic relatedness of the Polish Y. enterocolitica 1B/O8 isolates described in this study, we carried out pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), which is the genotyping standard for Y. enterocolitica (4,16). PFGE was conducted as described previously (22) using the Chef-DR II system (BioRad) and the endonuclease NotI (Fermentas, Lithuania) with a switching time of 5 to 24 s for 26 h at 14°C and a voltage gradient of 6 V/cm.…”