Abstract
The rate of yersiniosis in New Zealand (NZ) is high compared with other developed countries, and rates have been increasing over recent years. Typically, >99% of human cases in NZ are attributed to Yersinia enterocolitica (YE), although in 2014, a large outbreak of 220 cases was caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Up until 2012, the most common NZ strain was YE biotype 4. The emergent strain since this time is YE biotype 2/3 serotype O:9. The pathogenic potential of some YE biotypes remains unclear. Most human cases of yersiniosis are considered sporadic without an identifiable source. Key restrictions in previous investigations included insufficient sensitivity for the isolation of Yersinia spp. from foods, although foodborne transmission is the most likely route of infection. In NZ, YE has been isolated from a variety of sick and healthy domestic and farm animals but the pathways from zoonotic reservoir to human remain unproven. Whole-genome sequencing provides unprecedented discriminatory power for typing Yersinia and is now being applied to NZ epidemiological investigations. A “One-Health” approach is necessary to elucidate the routes of transmission of Yersinia and consequently inform targeted interventions for the prevention and management of yersiniosis in NZ
Highlights
Gastrointestinal infection caused by the bacteria Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) and, less frequently, Y. pseudotuberculosis (YP) is a common illness in ruminant animals and humans
Yersiniosis has been a mandatory notifiable disease in New Zealand (NZ) since 1996 and all notified human case data for yersiniosis are collated in EpiSurv, the NZ national notifiable disease surveillance database, which the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) operates on behalf of the
The majority of cases over this eight-year period were diagnosed from a fecal test but in 89 cases (
Summary
Gastrointestinal infection caused by the bacteria Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) and, less frequently, Y. pseudotuberculosis (YP) (collectively referred to as Yersinia in this review) is a common illness in ruminant animals and humans. Yersiniosis in humans is described as typically causing diarrhea, vomiting, fever and occasionally abdominal pain in children under 5 years old, while older children and adults are more likely to experience abdominal pain as the predominant symptom. The majority of human yersiniosis cases are considered sporadic with no identifiable source. Foodborne transmission is the most likely route of infection but baseline data on Yersinia from foods and the environment is lacking as food surveillance is not routinely performed and the etiology of yersiniosis in NZ remains unclear.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
