[Initial isolation and characterization of Yersinia enterocolitica in human feces in Argentina]

The isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from a child's feces with an acute diarrhea is reported for the first time in Argentina. The strain was classified as belonging to the biotype 4 of Wauters, serotype O:3, phage type VIII. The virulence-associated test of autoagglutination, calcium dependency and production of heat-stable enterotoxin were positive, whereas neither lethality for the adult mouse by oral route, nor invasiveness by using the Serény test in the mouse, were demonstrated. A plasmid of approximately 40 Mdal was detected. The suckling mouse LD50 was 4.1 x 10(6) cells. These characteristics are in agreement with those reported for most of the Yersinia enterocolitica strains belonging to the same serotype.