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Yersinia enterocolitica strains associated with human infections in Switzerland 2001–2010

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Abstract

Yersinia enterocolitica infections are common in humans. However, very scarce data are available on the different biotypes and virulence factors of human strains, which has proved to be problematic to assess the clinical significance of the isolated strains. In this study, the presence of the ail gene and distribution of different bio- and serotypes among human Y. enterocolitica strains and their possible relation to the genotype and antimicrobial resistance were studied. In total, 128 Y. enterocolitica strains isolated from human clinical samples in Switzerland during 2001–2010 were characterised. Most (75 out of 128) of the Y. enterocolitica strains belonged to biotypes 2, 3 or 4 and carried the ail gene. One of the 51 strains that belonged to biotype 1A was also ail positive. Most of the ail-positive strains belonged to bioserotype 4/O:3 (47 out of 76) followed by 2/O:9 (22 out of 76). Strains of bioserotype 4/O:3 were dominant among patients between 20 and 40 years old and strains of biotype 1A dominate in patients over 40 years. Strains belonging to biotypes 2, 3 and 4, which all carried the ail gene, exhibited a high homogeneity with PFGE typing. Y. enterocolitica 2/O:5,27 and 2/O:9 strains showed resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and cefoxitin, but Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains did not.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Grethe Sägesser for her help with strain collection. This project was partially funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Division of Transmissible Diseases, Section of Infectious Diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    M. Fredriksson-Ahomaa

  2. Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 272, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland

    N. Cernela, H. Hächler & R. Stephan

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  1. M. Fredriksson-Ahomaa
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  2. N. Cernela
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  3. H. Hächler
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  4. R. Stephan
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Correspondence to R. Stephan.

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Fredriksson-Ahomaa, M., Cernela, N., Hächler, H. et al. Yersinia enterocolitica strains associated with human infections in Switzerland 2001–2010. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 31, 1543–1550 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1476-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1476-7

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