Abstract
Yersinia enterocolitica is a well-known foodborne pathogen widely distributed in nature with high public health relevance, especially in Europe. This study aimed to analyze the pathogenic potential of Y. enterocolitica isolated strains from human, animal, food, and environmental sources and from different regions of Brazil by detecting virulence genes inv, ail, ystA, and virF through polymerase chain reaction (PCR), phenotypic tests, and antimicrobial susceptibility analysis. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used for the assessment of phylogenetic diversity. All virulence genes were detected in 11/60 (18%) strains of serotype O:3, biotype 4 isolated from human and animal sources. Ten human strains (4/O:3) presented three chromosomal virulence genes, and nine strains of biotype 1A presented the inv gene. Six (10%) strains were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, seven (12%) to tetracycline, and one (2%) to amikacin, all of which are used to treat yersiniosis. AMP-CEF-SXT was the predominant resistance profile. PFGE analysis revealed 36 unique pulsotypes, grouped into nine clusters (A to I) with similarity ≥ 85%, generating a diversity discriminatory index of 0.957. Cluster A comprised all bio-serotype 4/O:3 strains isolated from animal and humans sources. This study shows the existence of strains with the same genotypic profiles, bearing all virulence genes, from human and animal sources, circulating among several Brazilian states. This supports the hypothesis that swine is likely to serve as a main element in Y. enterocolitica transmission to humans in Brazil, and it could become a potential threat to public health as in Europe.
Highlights
Yersinia enterocolitica is a well-known foodborne pathogen widely distributed in nature with high public health relevance, especially in Europe
In Brazil, several studies on Y. enterocolitica and other Yersinia species show its isolation from human, animal, food, and environmental sources; occurrences are most frequently reported in sporadic cases [5]
The isolate sources included 31 strains from tonsillar and tongue surfaces of healthy swine; 10 from slaughterhouses in Campinas city isolated between 2007 and 2008; 5 strains from food isolated in São Paulo state (SP) (2008–2011); and 14 isolates from humans with various clinical circumstances coming from Bahia (BA), Minas Gerais (MG), Paraná (PR), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), and Santa Catarina states (SC) between 2005 and 2011
Summary
Yersinia enterocolitica is a well-known foodborne pathogen widely distributed in nature with high public health relevance, especially in Europe. Conclusions: This study shows the existence of strains with the same genotypic profiles, bearing all virulence genes, from human and animal sources, circulating among several Brazilian states. This supports the hypothesis that swine is likely to serve as a main element in Y. enterocolitica transmission to humans in Brazil, and it could become a potential threat to public health as in Europe. Yersinia enterocolitica was of clinical and epidemiological interest in the 1970s, evidenced by the significant increase of studies published around the world [1] It is widely distributed in nature in aquatic and animal reservoirs, with swine serving as a major reservoir for human pathogenic strains [2]. The sporadic cases have been reported in only a few studies that have been published in scientific journals around the world
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