Presence of Yersinia enterocolitica Serotype O:5,27 in Slaughter Pigs

Abstract

The tonsils, tongue, mesenteric lymph nodes, cecal contents, and feces from 50 slaughter pigs were evaluated for the presence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica. The cecal contents and feces of two pigs were positive (4%) with the pathogenic serotype O:5,27, biotype 3, whereas all other pigs were negative for pathogenic serotypes of Y. enterocolitica. The pathogenic serotypes were isolated from the cecal contents and feces using the stomacher sampling method. The cold enrichment in phosphate buffered saline and plating in Cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin medium. No pathogenic serotypes were recovered using the swab sampling technique, enrichment in Irgasan-ticarcillin-chlorate, and plating in modified Salmonella-Shigella deoxycholate-calcium chloride medium. The isolation of only 4% positive pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in our sampling of pigs in one production unit provides some encouragement that detection and control procedures might be effectively implemented to reduce or eliminate serotype O:5,27 from that herd.

Comparison of Culture, Multiplex, and 5′ Nuclease Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for the Rapid Detection of Yersinia enterocolitica in Swine and Pork Products

“…enterocolitica is considered a primary foodborne pathogen in Belgium, Canada, Japan, Denmark, and Finland (11). The predominant serotypes implicated in human illness in Europe are O:3 and O:9 (45), while in United States, O:8 and O:5 predominate (26). Recent outbreaks in the United States have shown O:3 infections in infants attributed to household preparation of chitterlings (an ethnic food prepared from hog intestines) (29), suggesting a serogroup shift (38).…”

Yersinia enterocolitica in wild and peridomestic rodents within Great Britain, a prevalence study

“…The remaining five samples had an unidentifiable serotype. While this is not unprecedented as there are over 50 serotypes recorded (Miller et al, 1989), and testing all known serotypes was not financially viable nor warranted in this study, the results of this study are still unexpected as the common serotypes 03, 05 and 08 (Liang et al, 2015;McNally et al, 2004;Shayegani et al, 1986), found in human, domestic animals and wildlife were tested for; while 09 is rarer in wild animals (Kaneko & Hashimoto, 1981), and 27 is most commonly found in domestic pigs (Kotula & Sharar, 1993).…”

Biological pathogens in animals

“…In western Canada, O:5,27 strains were found in the throats of slaughter-age pigs (Schiemann, 1989). In the USA, O:5,27 strains were isolated from the caecal contents and faeces of two out of 50 pigs (Kotula and Sharar, 1993). Serovar O:8/biovar 1B, until recently considered to be the most common human pathogenic strain of Y. enterocolitica in the USA (Tauxe, 2002) and in western Canada (Toma and Lafleur, 1981), has seldom been reported in pigs.…”