Yersinia enterocolitis is most often associated with pork precuts and milk, because food borne outbreaks are often linked to these foods. However, the organism has been isolated from other foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, various meats and poultry, oysters, fish, salads, sandwich, pastries and tofu. Poor sanitation and improper sterilization techniques by food handlers, including improper storage, cannot be overlooked as contributing to contamination.
Yersinia species are gram positive, non-spore forming, and facultatively anaerobic. The genus Yersinia belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae. Three of the seven species are pathogenic to humans: Y. pestis, Y, enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis.
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis causes an illness similar to Yersinia enterocolitica, and Yersinia pestis, which causes plague. Only a few strains of Yersinia enterocolitica cause illness in humans.
Yesinia is an important cause of gastroenteritis in humans, especially in temperate countries.
The consequences of yersiniosis are severe, and include prolonged acute infections, pseudoappendicits, and long term sequelae such as reactive arthritis and erythema nodosum.
Common symptoms in children are fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Symptoms typically develop 4 to 7 days after exposure and may last 1 to 3 weeks or longer.
Acute Yersinia enterocolitica infections produce severe diarrhea in humans, along with Peyer's patch necrosis, chronic lymphadenopathy, and hepatic or splenic abscesses.
The most effective controls of Yersinia contamination include the following: proper cooking and refrigeration, purification of water, pasteurization of dairy products, separation of cooked and uncooked foods, sanitation of food preparation surfaces with at least 1% bleach solution, washing of vegetables and cooking foods to 120 degree C – 170 degree C.
Yersinia enterocolitica proliferates readily at refrigeration temperatures. Hence, refrigeration does not effectively control the growth.
Food Infection: Yersinia enterocolitica
