Yersinia pathogenicity factors

Among the many species of the Yersinia genus, only Y. pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica are adapted to multiply at the expense of a host that is still alive. Y. pestis, the agent of plague, and Y. pseudotuberculosis are essentially rodent pathogens. Y. enterocolitica is a common human pathogen which causes gastrointestinal syndromes of varying severities, ranging from mild self-limited diarrhea to mesenteric adenitis evoking an appendicitis. Systemic involvement is unusual with Y. enterocolitica but reactive arthritis and erythema nodosum are common complications (COVER and ABER 1989) . In Europe, pork is a current source of Y. enterocolitica contamination (TAUXE et al. 1987).