Smouldering epidemic of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in barn rats

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was isolated from 8 (8 Rattus norvegicus) of 270 (259 R. norvegicus and 11 R. rattus) rats examined. Seasonal variation was not found in the incidence of isolations. The isolation occurred almost equally in both young and old rats. The isolated strains were determined as serovar IB in one rat, and serovar IVA in seven rats. The strains were isolated from the contents of the intestinal tract (the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum), the spleen, liver and mesenteric lymph nodes; they were not detected in the kidneys. Agglutinin titer in the eight rats was no more than 32.