Monitoring of Yersinia enterocolitica strains from free-living animals using different methods

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Microbiology
• Food Safety
• Zoonotic Diseases

Background:

• Yersinia enterocolitica is a significant zoonotic pathogen.
• Free-living animals can act as reservoirs for Yersinia enterocolitica.
• Effective detection methods are crucial for monitoring and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To monitor Yersinia enterocolitica strains in free-living animals in Poland.
• To compare the efficacy of warm (ITC) and cold (PSB) enrichment methods combined with molecular examination.
• To assess the prevalence and detection challenges of Yersinia enterocolitica in asymptomatic carriers.

Main Methods:

• Culturing over 1600 samples from hunted animals (2011-2014).
• Utilizing both warm (ITC) and cold (PSB) enrichment techniques.
• Employing multiplex PCR for molecular identification of Yersinia enterocolitica.

Main Results:

• 237 Yersinia-characteristic strains were isolated after enrichment.
• Molecular examination identified 140 isolates from PSB and 78 from ITC.
• Pathogenic Yersinia concentrations in asymptomatic carriers are generally low.

Conclusions:

• Cold enrichment (PSB) demonstrated higher efficiency in isolating Yersinia enterocolitica compared to warm enrichment (ITC).
• Bacteriological examination is recommended prior to molecular detection (PCR) for low bacterial loads.
• This highlights the importance of optimized diagnostic strategies for zoonotic pathogen surveillance in wildlife.