Yersinia enterocolitica: A REVIEW OF THE PSYCHROTROPHIC WATER AND FOODBORNE PATHOGEN

Infection in humans may be caused by Yersinia enterocolitica. Several foodborne outbreaks implicating this microorganism have been documented. Y. enterocolitica was shown to be the causitive agent of a foodborne disease outbreak in school children in upstate New York. Gastroenteritis and pseudoappendicitis were the predominant symptoms in this outbreak. It is hypothesized that the organism may be transmitted directly or indirectly to foods and water through fecal contamination or by the urine of a carrier animal. Swine have been shown to be the species most consistently harboring serotypes of Y. enterocolitica implicated in enteritis. The etiology of Y. enterocolitica diseases and infection and the most current isolation methodology is also reviewed. The distinguishing characteristics of this microorganism are its psychrotrophic growth capabilities, motility at 25°C, nonmotility at 37°C negative phenylalanine deaminase, and positive urease activity. Controversy exists regarding classification of‘the species: whether the species belongs within the genus Yersinia and if the species should be further subdivided according to invasiveness and other biochemical distinctions are considered in this review.