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Frequently Asked Questions
What
is yersiniosis?
Yersiniosis is an infectious disease caused by a
bacterium of the genus Yersinia. In the United States,
most human illness is caused by one species, Y. enterocolitica.
Infection with Y. enterocolitica can cause a variety of
symptoms depending on the age of the person infected. Infection
with Y. enterocolitica occurs most often in young children.
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. In older children
and adults, right-sided abdominal pain and fever may be the predominant
symptoms, and may be confused with appendicitis. In a small proportion
of cases, complications such as skin rash, joint pains, or spread
of bacteria to the bloodstream can occur.
What
sort of germ is Y. enterocolitica?
Y. enterocolitica belongs to a family of
rod-shaped bacteria. Other species of bacteria in this family
include Y. pseudotuberculosis, which causes an illness
similar to Y. enterocolitica, and Y. pestis, which
causes plague. Only a few strains of Y. enterocolitica
cause illness in humans. The major animal reservoir for Y.
enterocolitica strains that cause human illness is pigs, but
other strains are also found in many other animals including rodents,
rabbits, sheep, cattle, horses, dogs, and cats. In pigs, the bacteria
are most likely to be found on the tonsils.
How
do people get infected with Y. enterocolitica?
Infection is most often acquired by eating contaminated
food, especially raw or undercooked pork products. The preparation
of raw pork intestines (chitterlings) may be particularly risky.
Infants can be infected if their caretakers handle raw chitterlings
and then do not adequately clean their hands before handling the
infant or the infant’s toys, bottles, or pacifiers. Drinking
contaminated unpasteurized milk or untreated water can also transmit
the infection. Occasionally Y. enterocolitica infection
occurs after contact with infected animals. On rare occasions,
it can be transmitted as a result of the bacterium passing from
the stools or soiled fingers of one person to the mouth of another
person. This may happen when basic hygiene and handwashing habits
are inadequate. Rarely, the organism is transmitted through contaminated
blood during a transfusion.
How
common is infection with Y. enterocolitica?
Y. enterocolitica is a relatively infrequent
cause of diarrhea and abdominal pain. Based on data from the Foodborne
Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), which measures
the burden and sources of specific diseases over time, approximately
one culture-confirmed Y. enterocolitica infection per 100,000
persons occurs each year. Children are infected more often than
adults, and the infection is more common in the winter.
How
can Y. enterocolitica infections be diagnosed?
Y. enterocolitica infections are generally
diagnosed by detecting the organism in the stools. Many laboratories
do not routinely test for Y. enterocolitica,so it is important
to notify laboratory personnel when infection with this bacterium
is suspected so that special tests can be done. The organism can
also be recovered from other sites, including the throat, lymph
nodes, joint fluid, urine, bile, and blood.
How
can Y. enterocolitica infections be treated?
Uncomplicated cases of diarrhea due to Y. enterocolitica
usually resolve on their own without antibiotic treatment. However,
in more severe or complicated infections, antibiotics such as
aminoglycosides, doxycycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or
fluoroquinolones may be useful. .
Are
there long-term consequences of Y. enterocolitica infections?
Most infections are uncomplicated and resolve completely.
Occasionally, some persons develop joint pain, most commonly in
the knees, ankles or wrists. These joint pains usually develop
about 1 month after the initial episode of diarrhea and generally
resolve after 1 to 6 months. A skin rash, called "erythema
nodosum," may also appear on the legs and trunk; this is
more common in women. In most cases, erythema nodosum resolves
spontaneously within a month.
What
can be done to prevent the infection?
1. Avoid eating raw or undercooked pork. 2. Consume
only pasteurized milk or milk products. 3. Wash hands with soap
and water before eating and preparing food, after contact with
animals, and after handling raw meat. 4. After handling raw chitterlings,
clean hands and fingernails scrupulously with soap and water before
touching infants or their toys, bottles, or pacifiers. Someone
other than the foodhandler should care for children while chitterlings
are being prepared. 5. Prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen:
-Use separate cutting boards for meat and other foods. -Carefully
clean all cutting boards, counter-tops, and utensils with soap
and hot water after preparing raw meat. 6. Dispose of animal feces
in a sanitary manner.
What
are public health agencies doing to prevent or control yersiniosis?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
monitors the frequency of Y. enterocolitica infections
through the foodborne disease active surveillance network (FoodNet).
In addition, CDC conducts investigations of outbreaks of yersiniosis
to control them and to learn more about how to prevent these infections.
CDC has collaborated in an educational campaign to increase public
awareness about prevention of Y. enterocolitica infections.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspects imported foods
and milk pasteurization plants and promotes better food preparation
techniques in restaurants and food processing plants. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture monitors the health of food animals
and is responsible for the quality of slaughtered and processed
meat. The U.S. Environmental ProtectiENTER>
Division
of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
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