Yersiniosis | |
---|---|
Colonies of Y. enterocolitica growing on blood agar | |
Specialty | Infectious disease, gastroenterology |
Symptoms | fever; bloody diarrhea; abdominal pain; vomiting |
Complications | Dehydration, hypovolemia; intestinal necrosis |
Duration | 1 to 3 weeks |
Causes | Y. enterocolitica (most cases); Y. pseudotuberculosis; other Yersinia species (rarely) |
Diagnostic method | ELISA |
Differential diagnosis | Appendicitis; food poisoning; viral enteritis; giardiasis; cholera; salmonellosis |
Yersiniosis is an infectious disease of the gastrointestinal tract caused by bacteria of the genus Yersinia other than Y. pestis. Most cases of yersiniosis in humans are caused by Y. enterocolitica, with a small minority being caused by Y. pseudotuberculosis. Rarely, other species of the genus can cause yersiniosis.[1]
Yersiniosis most frequently affects young children.[2] The infection is thought to be contracted through the consumption of undercooked meat products, unpasteurized milk, or water contaminated by the bacteria. It has been also sometimes associated with handling raw chitterlings.[3][4] However, most cases of yersiniosis lack a clear source, and are considered sporadic.[2]
Y. pestis is not considered to be a causative agent of yersiniosis because it is the organism that causes Plague, which is considered to be a distinct disease.[1]