[Intestinal yersinia infection: pathogenesis, clinical course, epidemiology and diagnosis]

Human abdominal yersiniosis is caused by Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The organisms invade the intestinal wall and produce an inflammation of the gut and the mesenteric lymph nodes. Their virulence appears to be determined by a group of plasmids of 40-48 megadaltons molecular size, which stimulate the production of V and W virulence antigens and mediate the capacity of Y. enterocolitica to adhere to, and invade into, epithelial cells.