Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in China

  • Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Yersinia enterocolitica (1,295 strains) was isolated from diarrhea patients, livestock, poultry, wild animals, insect vectors, food, and the environment. They were studied for epidemiology distribution using bacterial biochemical metabolism tests, their virulence genes, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) sub-typing. The data showed that 416 of the 1,295 strains were pathogenic, where the pathogenic Chinese isolates were of serotypes O:3 and O:9. These two serotypes were found in livestock and poultry, with swine serving as the major reservoir. The geographic distribution of pathogenic isolates was significantly different, where most of the strains were isolated from the cold northern areas, whereas some serotype O:3 strains were recovered from the warm southern areas. By the analysis of the data of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, we find the phenomenon of ‘concentric circle distribution’ around animal reservoirs and human habitation. The clustering of PFGE showed that the patterns of the pathogenic strains isolated from diarrhea patients were identical compared to those from the animals in the same area, thus, suggesting that the human infection originated from the animals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bottone EJ (1977) Yersinia enterocolitica: a panoramic view of a charismatic microorganism. CRC Crit Rev Microbiol 5:211–241

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Cover TL, Aber RC (1989) Yersinia enterocolitica. N Engl J Med 321:16–24

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Pepe JC, Miller VL (1993) Yersinia enterocolitica invasin: a primary role in the initiation of infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90:6473–6477

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Grützkau A, Hanski C, Hahn H, Riecken EO (1990) Involvement of M cells in the bacterial invasion of Peyer’s patches: a common mechanism shared by Yersinia enterocolitica and other enteroinvasive bacteria. Gut 31:1011–1015

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Toivanen P, Toivanen A, Olkkonen L, Aantaa S (1973) Hospital outbreak of Yersinia enterocolitica infection. Lancet 1:801–803

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Toma S, Lafleur L (1974) Survey on the incidence of Yersinia enterocolitica infection in Canada. Appl Microbiol 28:469–473

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gutman LT, Ottesen EA, Quan TJ, Noce PS, Katz SL (1973) An inter-familial outbreak of Yersinia enterocolitica enteritis. N Engl J Med 288:1372–1377

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Wang X, Qiu H, Jin D, Cui Z, Kan B, Xiao Y et al (2008) O:8 serotype Yersinia enterocolitica strains in China. Int J Food Microbiol 125:259–266

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Bottone EJ (1997) Yersinia enterocolitica: the charisma continues. Clin Microbiol Rev 10:257–276

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Horisaka T, Fujita K, Iwata T, Nakadai A, Okatani AT, Horikita T et al (2004) Sensitive and specific detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis by loop-mediated isothermal amplification. J Clin Microbiol 42:5349–5352

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Nesbakken T, Iversen T, Lium B (2007) Pig herds free from human pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica. Emerg Infect Dis 13:1860–1864

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Rasmussen HN, Rasmussen OF, Christensen H, Olsen JE (1995) Detection of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 in faecal samples and tonsil swabs from pigs using IMS and PCR. J Appl Bacteriol 78:563–568

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Fukushima H, Matsuda Y, Seki R, Tsubokura M, Takeda N, Shubin FN et al (2001) Geographical heterogeneity between Far Eastern and Western countries in prevalence of the virulence plasmid, the superantigen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen, and the high-pathogenicity island among Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains. J Clin Microbiol 39:3541–3547

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Niskanen T, Waldenström J, Fredriksson-Ahomaa M, Olsen B, Korkeala H (2003) virF-positive Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica found in migratory birds in Sweden. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:4670–4675

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Pilon J, Higgins R, Quessy S (2000) Epidemiological study of Yersinia enterocolitica in swine herds in Québec. Can Vet J 41:383–387

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Fredriksson-Ahomaa M, Korkeala H (2003) Low occurrence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in clinical, food, and environmental samples: a methodological problem. Clin Microbiol Rev 16:220–229

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Thoerner P, Bin Kingombe CI, Bögli-Stuber K, Bissig-Choisat B, Wassenaar TM, Frey J et al (2003) PCR detection of virulence genes in Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and investigation of virulence gene distribution. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:1810–1816

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Fredriksson-Ahomaa M, Hallanvuo S, Korte T, Siitonen A, Korkeala H (2001) Correspondence of genotypes of sporadic Yersinia enterocolitica bioserotype 4/O:3 strains from human and porcine sources. Epidemiol Infect 127:37–47

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hurvell B (1978) Zoonotic aspects of Yersinia enterocolitica infections (author’s transl). Nord Vet Med 30:297–304

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Jones TF (2003) From pig to pacifier: chitterling-associated yersiniosis outbreak among black infants. Emerg Infect Dis 9:1007–1009

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Grahek-Ogden D, Schimmer B, Cudjoe KS, Nygård K, Kapperud G (2007) Outbreak of Yersinia enterocolitica serogroup O:9 infection and processed pork, Norway. Emerg Infect Dis 13:754–756

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Singh I, Virdi JS (2004) Production of Yersinia stable toxin (YST) and distribution of yst genes in biotype 1A strains of Yersinia enterocolitica. J Med Microbiol 53:1065–1068

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Singh I, Virdi JS (2005) Interaction of Yersinia enterocoliticaa biotype 1A strains of diverse origin with cultured cells in vitro. Jpn J Infect Dis 58:31–33

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Hayashidani H, Ohtomo Y, Toyokawa Y, Saito M, Kaneko K, Kosuge J et al (1995) Potential sources of sporadic human infection with Yersinia enterocolitica serovar O:8 in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. J Clin Microbiol 33:1253–1257

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sulakvelidze A, Dalakishvili K, Barry E, Wauters G, Robins-Browne R, Imnadze P et al (1996) Analysis of clinical and environment Yersinia isolates in the Republic of Georgia. J Clin Microbiol 34:2325–2327

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Fredriksson-Ahomaa M, Stolle A, Stephan R (2007) Prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in pigs slaughtered at a Swiss abattoir. Int J Food Microbiol 119:207–212

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Fukushima H, Hao Q, Wu K, Hu X, Chen J, Guo Z et al (2001) Yersinia enterocolitica O9 as a possible barrier against Y. pestis in natural plague foci in Ningxia, China. Curr Microbiol 42:1–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Mingrone MG, Fantasia M (1988) Characteristics of Yersinia spp. isolated from wild and zoo animals. J Wildl Dis 24:25–29

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Kaneko K, Hashimoto N (1981) Occurrence of Yersinia enterocolitica in wild animals. Appl Environ Microbiol 41:635–638

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Jim Nelson for his critical reading of our manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, P.O. Box 5, 102206, Changping, Beijing, China

    X. Wang, Z. Cui, D. Jin, Y. Xiao, H. Qiu, B. Kan, J. Xu & H. Jing

  2. National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 100052, Beijing, China

    L. Tang

  3. Henan Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 450016, Zhengzhou, China

    S. Xia

  4. Jiangsu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 210009, Nanjing, China

    H. Wang

  5. Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 750004, Yinchuan, China

    Q. Hao

Authors
  1. X. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Z. Cui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Jin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. L. Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. Xia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. H. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Y. Xiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. H. Qiu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Q. Hao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. B. Kan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. J. Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. H. Jing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Jing.

Additional information

Xin Wang, Zhigang Cui, Dong Jin, Liuying Tang, Shengli Xia, and Hua Wang contributed equally to this study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, X., Cui, Z., Jin, D. et al. Distribution of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in China. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 28, 1237–1244 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-009-0773-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-009-0773-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation