Yersinia pseudotuberculosisandY. enterocoliticaInfections, FoodNet, 1996–2007

Cherie Long,Timothy F Jones,Nancy Strockbine,Beletshachew Shiferaw,Robert V Tauxe,L Hannah Gould,Patricia Ryan,Joni Scheftel,Duc J Vugia

doi:10.3201/eid1603.091106

Abstract

<i>Yersinia pseudotuberculosis</i>and<i>Y. enterocolitica</i>Infections, FoodNet, 1996–2007

Highlights

To the Editor: Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a gram-negative zoonotic bacterial pathogen, causes acute gastroenteritis and mesenteric lymphadenitis, which are often accompanied by fever and abdominal pain
The average annual incidence of Y. enterocolitica infections in Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) was 3.5 cases per 1,000,000 persons, and many of the cases occurred in the southern FoodNet site of Georgia (443 cases, 33%) (Table)
Persons with Y. enterocolitica infection were significantly younger than those with Y. pseudotuberculosis infection, and unlike Y. pseudotuberculosis infections, Y. enterocolitica infections were evenly distributed among male and female patients and among whites and blacks. Compared with those with Y. enterocolitica infection, persons with Y. pseudotuberculosis infection were more likely to be hospitalized (p = 0.0003), have longer hospital stays (p = 0.0118), die (p = 0.0248), and have an isolate recovered from an invasive site (p

Summary

Introduction

To the Editor: Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a gram-negative zoonotic bacterial pathogen, causes acute gastroenteritis and mesenteric lymphadenitis, which are often accompanied by fever and abdominal pain. Demographic and outcome (e.g., hospitalization and death) information was collected for all cases. During 1996–2007, 1,903 Yersinia infections were reported in FoodNet sites. Most of the isolates were Y. enterocolitica (1,355; 92%); 18 (1%) Y. pseudotuberculosis infections were identified.

Results

Conclusion