Presence of Yersinia enterocolitica Serotype O:5,27 in Slaughter Pigs

The tonsils, tongue, mesenteric lymph nodes, cecal contents, and feces from 50 slaughter pigs were evaluated for the presence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica . The cecal contents and feces of two pigs were positive (4%) with the pathogenic serotype O:5,27, biotype 3, whereas all other pigs were negative for pathogenic serotypes of Y. enterocolitica . The pathogenic serotypes were isolated from the cecal contents and feces using the stomacher sampling method. The cold enrichment in phosphate buffered saline and plating in Cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin medium. No pathogenic serotypes were recovered using the swab sampling technique, enrichment in Irgasan-ticarcillin-chlorate, and plating in modified Salmonella-Shigella deoxycholate-calcium chloride medium. The isolation of only 4% positive pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in our sampling of pigs in one production unit provides some encouragement that detection and control procedures might be effectively implemented to reduce or eliminate serotype O:5,27 from that herd.