Yersinia enterocolitica and related species isolated from animals slaughtered for human consumption

Yersinia enterocolitica and related species recovery frequency was studied in recently slaughtered animals in San Luis, Argentina. A fetal of 493 samples from bovine rectal contents (100), young goat (100), chicken (50) and pig (103) caecal contents, and chicken skins (140) were analyzed. Forty-six Y. enterocolitica strains, three Yersinia intermedia strains and one Yersinia frederiksenii strain were obtained from 7.5% of the samples. A highest Y. enterocolitica recovery was from the caecal contents from pigs (26.2% positive samples). Most of the strains belonged to biovar 1, serovar 0:5. In porcines, the isolated biovars were different from those recovered from these animals in Europe. The pathogenicity was assessed by virulence tests with positive autoagglutination and calcium dependence at 37 degrees C for three Y. enterocolitica strains from porcines and negative results for the remaining ones. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited