Yersinia enterocolitica infection in goat. A serological and bacteriological investigation

The distribution of agglutinating antibodies to Yersinia enterocolitica type 2 in sera from goats in an infected herd, and in 190 other animals from different parts of the country was studied. The faecal excretion of Yersinia enterocolitica from the same animals was also examined. Experimental inoculations of two goats were carried out. The serological results indicate that subclinical cases had occurred in the infected herd during the enzooty and during the following months. Faecal excretion of the organism was observed during the first month after the acute phase of the disease. It was found to be difficult to induce the disease experimentally, but clinical signs were observed in 1 goat after injection of live Yersinia enterocolitica intraperitoneally. The Widal-titre rose to 1/1250 during the first 2 weeks after the inoculation and then fell to 1/80 during the next 2 months. The serological results indicate infections with Yersinia enterocolitica, if a Widal-titre of at least 1/80–1/160 in the first month after the acute phase of a disease and a fall to a low level during the following months are found. Among animals from different partst of the country 16.3 % had a Widal-titre which indicated infection with Yersinia enterocolitica during the previous 3–6 months.     

Multiplex PCR method for differentiating highly pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica and low pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica,and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

A multiplex PCR method for rapid and sensitive diagnosis, differentiating three pathogenic Yersinia groups such as the highly pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, including serotype O8, low pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, and Y. pseudotuberculosis, was developed. Four primer pairs were chosen to detect the genes fyuA, ail, inv, and virF, responsible for the virulence in pathogenic Yersinia species. Under the multiplex PCR conditions, the unique band patterns for the highly pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, low pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, and Y. pseudotuberculosis were generated from Yersinia strains. The detection limit of this method was 10¹–10³ CFU per reaction tube. This multiplex PCR method could detect highly pathogenic Y. enterocolitica O8 from the wild rodent fecal samples that were culture-positive. Therefore, the new multiplex PCR method developed in this study is a useful tool for rapid and sensitive diagnosis, distinguishing three pathogenic Yersinia groups.     

腹泻水貂检出携带耶尔森菌HPI毒力岛的大肠杆菌

为了解大肠杆菌引起水貂腹泻的机理,进行了小肠结肠炎耶尔森菌HPI毒力岛基因的检测,并对其菌株做毒力试验。用PCR扩增法检测毒力岛基因irp2和fyua,小鼠腹腔注射检测菌株毒力。结果：从3个貂场腹泻病死水貂脏器以及粪便中分离出血清型分别为078、029和038的大肠杆菌,对3个血清型大肠杆菌进行毒力岛检测,均检出携带小肠结肠炎耶尔森菌HPI毒力岛基因irp2和fyua。3个血清型078、029和038的大肠杆菌均使小鼠发病死亡。结果表明水貂腹泻是由携带小肠结肠炎耶尔森茵HPI毒力岛基因irp2和fyua的大肠杆菌引起,该茵对水貂的健康具有潜在的威胁。     

黄颡鱼感染小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌的组织病理学观察

为探讨小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌GM2402株对黄颡鱼的致病性,本试验采用人工回感试验测定其半数致死浓度(LC₅₀),同时采用组织病理学方法探讨该菌对黄颡鱼组织的影响.结果表明:回感18 h后,发病黄颡鱼腹部肿大,胸鳍、腹鳍基部出血,肛门红肿,其LC₅₀为3.0×10^6.2 CFU/mL.组织病理学观察肝细胞肿大、排列紊乱、广泛空泡变性;肾小球萎缩,肾小管上皮细胞肿大;脾脏组织结构疏松充满大量红细胞;鳃小片轻度水肿充血.超微结构观察结果显示肝脏和肠道细胞内线粒体均出现不同程度的肿胀,嵴断裂囊泡化.本试验结果表明小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌GM2402株对黄颡鱼有较强的致病性,可导致鱼体多个组织出现病变.     

小肠结肠耶氏菌毒性质粒基因文库的构建

本研究以pAT153质粒为载体,构建了小肠结肠耶氏菌毒性质粒(pVYE)经限制性内切酶Bam HI和PstI消化产生的DNA片段的基因文库.实验克隆了8株(pYBI～8)pVYE的BamHI片段和6株(pYPI～6)pVYE的PstI片段的重组子.其中pYB4、pYB7、pYB8重组质粒中插入的pVYE—Bam HIDNA片段的分子量分别为8.7、3.8、20kb;pYP3、pYP5、pYP6重组质粒中插入的pVYE-Pst I DNA片段的分子量分别为4.5、3.0、7.0kb.本实验结果为进一步筛选和制备特异性基因探针奠定了基础.     

强毒小肠结肠耶氏菌生物素标记基因探针的研究

在构建的小肠结肠耶氏菌毒性质粒DNA基因文库pYB1～8与pYP1～6的基础上,筛选出了pYB7和pYP6克隆株.用限制性内切酶Bam HI消化pYB7,Pst消化pYP6,可分离出3.8kb和6.4kb的插入性DNA片段.以这两个基因片段为目的基因,用生物素化dUTP和光敏生物素标记,获得了生物素标记的基因探针.该探针能检出10pg以上的强毒小肠结肠耶氏菌DNA,不与无毒小肠结肠耶氏菌及大肠杆菌、鼠伤寒沙门氏菌、金黄色葡萄球菌等18种对照菌反应,具有高度的特异性和敏感性.pYB7与pYP6探针对不同血清型及来源的小肠结肠耶氏菌检测,其结果与自凝性试验、依钙试验等结果相符;对小肠结肠耶氏菌强毒株与无毒株检定的准确率为100%.     

感染小肠结肠炎耶尔森菌的黄颡鱼脾脏和肾脏组织病理学观察

为了解小肠结肠炎耶尔森菌感染黄颡鱼后对其脾脏和肾脏免疫器官结构的影响,通过人工感染小肠结肠炎耶尔森菌致病后,观察黄颡鱼脾脏和肾脏显微和超微结构的病理变化。结果显示,发病黄颡鱼腹部肿大,剖检可见脾脏、肾脏肿大;肾小球萎缩,肾小管上皮细胞水肿、变性;脾组织内充满大量红细胞;脾脏、肾脏细胞中线粒体均出现不同程度的肿胀,嵴断裂,囊泡化。这表明该菌对黄颡鱼具有明显的致病性,可导致其脾脏和肾脏发生严重的病变。     

小肠结肠耶氏菌O:9血清型与布氏杆菌M_5株共同抗原的免疫印迹分析

应用SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和免疫印迹技术,对经超声波打碎的小肠结肠耶氏菌O:9血清型和布氏杆菌M5株全菌体蛋白成分进行了分子量测定及抗原分析。结果表明,小肠结肠耶氏菌O:9血清型Y15株与布氏杆菌M5株存在一条发生交叉反应的蛋白质共同抗原带,其分子量为11400。Y15株与M5株有多个分子量相同的条带,但不发生交叉反应。Y15株与M5株皆有多个各自特异的条带。     

The pathogenicity of Yersinia enterocolitica for piglets.

The pathogenicity of Yersinia enterocolitica, a bacterium that has been isolated frequently from healthy swine, was studied in piglets by oral challenge of two litters, one derived by cesarean section and deprived of colostrum, and the other delivered at full-term. Eight cesarean-derived piglets were divided into groups of two and challenged with four serotypes of Y. enterocolitica (O:8, O:21, O:3, O:13). Two deaths occurred and two piglets were killed because of severe illness before termination of the experiment eight days after challenge. Surviving piglets showed no clinical signs of illness. Rectal cultures were consistently positive and all cesarean-derived piglets were colonized in the small intestine and throat at necropsy. Full-term piglets were allowed access for 36 hours to sow colostrum containing low levels of antibody against the challenge strains. Six full-term piglets challenged with three serotypes of Y. enterocolitica (O:8, O:21, O:13) survived for 15 days without any signs of illness. These piglets had fewer positive rectal cultures and showed less extensive colonization of internal organs at necropsy than did cesarean-derived piglets. It is uncertain whether this increased resistance to infection with Y. enterocolitica resulted from colostrum-derived antibody, intestinal colonization with other bacteria, or an improved physical condition which accompanied full-term development. Nevertheless, the results of this challenge experiment suggest that piglets are capable of restricting colonization by Y. enterocolitica to the throat and intestinal tract without development of serious illness.     

Serological cross-reactions between different brucella species and Yersinia enterocolitica. Agglutinating activity of 19 S and 7 S antibodies aginst somatic antigen of Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica type IX

Antisera from rabbits immunized with acetone-killed whole cells and with lipopolysaccharides from Brucella abortus (B.a.) and Yersinia enterocolitica type IX (Y.e.) were gel-filtered on Sephadex G-200 columns.All the antisera had serologically cross-reacting agglutinins against B.a. and Y.e. both in the 19 S and in the 7 S antibody fractions.The homologous and the heterologous agglutinating activity of 19 S and of 7 S antibodies was tested before and after treatment with dithiothreitol (DTT) and subsequent alkylation. Unlike 19 S antibodies, 7 S antibodies were resistant to the DTT reduction.The results from heterologous absorptions of the respective 19 S and 7 S antibody fractions indicated that 19 S antibodies both to B.a. and to Y.e. had a greater tendency towards being absorbed to the cross-reacting antigenic determinants than had the corresponding 7 S antibodies. The agglutination titres for 19 as well as 7 S antibody fractions derived from the immunizations with B.a. (both whole cells and LPS) fell more markedly after heterologous absorptions than did the analogous titres for corresponding Y.e. antibody fractions. Possible explanations of these differences are discussed.     

Comparison of sampling and isolation procedures for recovery of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3 from the oral cavity of slaughter pigs

Yersinia enterocolitica serotype 0:3/biotype 4 was isolated from the oral cavity of altogether 32 (68.1 %) of 47 freshly eviscerated slaughter pigs. Most efficient recovery was achieved by cultivation of tissue samples from both tongue and tonsils of the same individual. The isolation rate so obtained was significantly higher than that obtained by separate examination of either tonsil swabs or tongue swabs. However, the isolation frequency achieved by combined swabbing of the 2 sites was not significantly different. In general, tonsils were more productive for the recovery of 0:3 strains than were tongues, and tissue samples yielded higher isolation rates than did swabs. Three-week cold enrichment in a low selective medium proved essential for optimal recovery. However, the highest number of isolates was obtained using a combination of methods, including direct plating and selective enrichment in a modified Rappaport broth in addition to cold enrichment.     

用体外法测定致病性小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌

研究和评价七种测定致病性小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌的体外法。用１００ 株来自不同国家包括致病性和非致病性的各种血清型和生物型菌株进行研究。体外法包括自凝试验、依钙试验、吡嗪酰胺酶试验、水杨苷发酵、七叶苷水解、刚果红菌落试验和毒力质粒。本研究结果表明所有七种体外法对于鉴定致病性小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌都是有用的,并表明我们实验室创立的刚果红菌落试验是一种简易和最有效的方法,能测定小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌的毒力以及鉴定单个带质粒的菌落。     

Competitive exclusion of Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 4, serotype O:3 by Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 1A,serotype O:6,30 in tissue culture and in pigs

AIMS: To study the adhesion properties of a biotype 4, serotype O:3 (human pathogenic) strain of Yersinia enterocolitica and to determine if adhesion in vitro and colonisation in vivo can be prevented by competition with a biotype 1A, serotype O:6,30 (non-pathogenic) strain. To study interaction between Y. enterocolitica biotype 4, serotype O:3 and cultured epithelial cells using the synthetic tripeptide arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD).

METHODS: The human intestinal epithelial (HEp-2) cell line was used for in vitro studies. Inocula of Y. enterocolitica biotype 4, serotype O:3 radiolabelled using tritium were incubated with HEp-2 cells and RGD tripeptide, or with Y. enterocolitica biotype 1A, serotype O:6,30 sequentially or concurrently, then washed and lysed, and radioactivity measured to determine the effect of RGD on adhesion, and competitive exclusion of pathogenic by non-pathogenic bacteria. For in vivo studies, two groups of 5-week-old piglets (n=5/group) were sequentially inoculated orally with 5x10⁹ colony forming units (cfu) of either a non-pathogenic biotype 1A, serotype O:6,30 strain of Y. enterocolitica followed by a pathogenic biotype 4, serotype O:3 strain, or vice versa. Pigs were monitored for carriage of strains using bacterial culture and a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS: The RGD tripeptide significantly inhibited adherence of the pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strain to cultured epithelial cells, suggesting that adhesion involved the RGD tripeptide sequence. The non-pathogenic biotype 1A, serotype O:6,30 strain of Y. enterocolitica prevented adhesion of the pathogenic strain to cells in vitro when allowed to adhere first. Pathogenic Y. enterocolitica was consistently isolated from rectal swabs from 80-100% of pigs on all sampling occasions but not from oral swabs after 14 days in pigs first inoculated with the non- pathogenic strain or at 26 days in pigs first inoculated with the pathogenic strain.

CONCLUSIONS: A non-pathogenic strain of Y. enterocolitica reduced adhesion of a human pathogenic strain in vitro but not in vivo.     

Experimental Yersinia enterocolitica placentitis in sheep.

A strain of Yersinia enterocolitica of O serogroup 6,30 isolated from the liver of an aborted ovine fetus was inoculated intravenously into a group of pregnant ewes at about 90 days gestation and produced placentitis with abortion or delivery of infected lambs about 50 days later. Y. enterocolitica of the same serogroup was recovered from the necrotic placental cotyledons and most other fetal tissues and could be isolated from vaginal discharges of the ewes for a least 2 weeks after abortion. Histological changes were consistent with an acute bacterial necrotizing placentitis and systemic infection of the fetus. Subsequent pregnancies in the ewes proceeded to term without evidence of infection.     

实验猕猴肠道耶尔森菌感染状况调查及鉴定

为了调查耶尔森菌在实验猕猴中的感染携带状况,用冷增菌的方法进行分离培养,选择ID32E肠杆菌鉴定测试条及ATB G5药敏测试条,采用ATB细菌及药敏分析仪进行鉴定及药敏试验。调查2 525 只实验猕猴,其中15 只检出耶尔森菌阳性,感染率为0.59%。耶尔森菌在实验猕猴中带菌率不高,且带菌猴均未表现出临床症状。     

A long-term observation for ecology of pathogenic Yersinia in wild rodents living in Fukushima Prefecture,Japan

From 2012 to 2021, prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia in wild rodents captured in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan was investigated twice a year to clarify the ecology of this pathogen in wild rodent populations. Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica O8 was isolated from 13 (1.7%) of 755 wild rodents. The Y. enterocolitica O8 isolates harbored three virulent genes (ail, fyuA, and virF). This pathogen was isolated repeatedly from wild rodents in April 2015, 2016, and 2017, in June and November 2020, and in April 2021, which was 6 of 19 times of observations. All Y. enterocolitica O8 isolates showed the same PFGE patterns. These results indicated that the same clone of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica O8 has been maintained in wild rodent populations in Fukushima Prefecture. Therefore, wild rodent populations contribute substantially to the continuous transmission of Y. enterocolitica O8 and its persistence in the ecosystem. This is the first report on the isolation of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica O8 in wild rodents in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.     

鱼源小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌的耐药性研究

本试验采用聚合酶链反应(PCR)方法检测鱼源小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌的四环素类耐药基因(tetA、tetC、tetM)、磺胺类耐药基因(sul1、sul2、sul3)和氨基糖苷类耐药基因(aph(3')-Ⅲa、aac(6')-Ⅰb、ant(3')-Ⅰa、aac(3)-Ⅱa),并采用κ-B法检测该菌对14种抗生素的耐药表型。结果表明,小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌8种耐药基因(tetC、tetM、sul1、sul2,aph(3')-Ⅱa、aac(6')-Ⅰb、ant(3')-Ⅰa、aac(3)-Ⅱa)被检测出,而tetA、sul3基因未被检测出。该菌株对复方新诺明、磺胺异恶唑、红霉素、利福平、洁霉素和头孢噻吩6种抗生素耐药,对氟哌酸、氟苯尼考和头孢曲松等8种抗生素敏感。这为治疗小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌引起的鱼病积累了资料。     

The pathogenicity of Yersinia enterocolitica strains isolated from various sources in four test systems.

Six tests were applied to 39 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica of various serotypes and from several sources in an attempt to relate the test to pathogenicity of the strains. The tests that were used were the pig gut loop test and the infant mouse test for heat stable enterotoxin, the Sereny and HeLa cell tests for invasiveness, inhibition of growth on magnesium oxalate agar, and the ability to cause diarrhea in infant mice. The pig gut loop test was found to be unsuitable for detection of heat stable enterotoxin but 20 strains produced heat stable enterotoxin that was detected in infant mice. None of the strains was positive in the Sereny test but 21 invaded HeLa cells. The growth of 20 strains was inhibited at 37 degrees C on magnesium oxalate agar and, in the orally-infected mice, 23 strains caused diarrhea or death. These findings indicate a discrepancy between the infant mouse test and the ligated intestine test in pigs for heat stable enterotoxin and a significant difference in Y. enterocolitica heat stable enterotoxin compared with Escherichia coli heat stable enterotoxin because the former failed to elicit a significant response in pig intestine.     

Yersinia enterocolitica in sheep - a high frequency of biotype 1A

Background

Pigs are regarded as the main reservoir for human pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica, which is dominated by bioserotype 4/O:3. Other animals, including sheep, have occasionally been reported as carriers of pathogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica. To our knowledge, this is the first study performed in the Nordic countries in which the presence of Y. enterocolitica in sheep is investigated.

Methods

Tonsils and faecal samples collected from sheep slaughtered on the island Gotland (Sweden) from September 2010 through January 2011 were analysed for presence of Y. enterocolitica. In an attempt to maximize recovery, several cultural strategies were applied. Various non-selective media were used and different temperatures and durations of the enrichment were applied before subculturing on Cefsulodin Irgasan Novobiocin (CIN) agar. Presumptive Y. enterocolitica colonies were subjected to urease, API 20E and agglutination test. Yersinia enterocolitica isolates were biotyped, serotyped, and tested for pathogenicity using a TaqMan PCR directed towards the ail-gene that is associated with human pathogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica.

Results

The samples collected from 99 sheep yielded 567 presumptive Y. enterocolitica colonies. Eighty urease positive isolates, from 35 sheep, were identified as Y. enterocolitica by API 20E. Thirty-four of 35 further subtyped Y. enterocolitica isolates, all from faecal samples, belonged to biotype 1A serotype O:5, O:6. O:13,7 and O:10. One strain was Yersinia mollaretii serotype O:62. No human pathogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica were found in the investigated sheep. Other species identified were Y. kristensenii (n = 4), Y. frederiksenii/intermedia (n = 3), Providencia rettgeri (n = 2), Serratia marcescens (n = 1) and Raoultella ornithinolytica (n = 1).

Conclusions

This study does not support the hypothesis that sheep play an important role in transmission of the known human pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in the studied geographical region. However, because there are studies indicating that some strains of Y. enterocolitica biotype 1A may cause disease in humans, the relative importance of sheep as carriers of human pathogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica remains unclear. Tonsils do not appear to be favourable sites for Y. enterocolitica biotype 1A in sheep.     

The Limitations of Pulsed‐Field Gel Electrophoresis for Analysis of Yersinia enterocolitica Isolates

This study describes the analysis of 432 isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE had a high level of discrimination with biotype 1A isolates (Simpson's Diversity Index 0.997), but with the clinically important biotypes 2, 3 and 4, the discriminatory ability of PFGE was so low as to severely limit its usefulness (DI <0.6). For biotypes 2, 3 and 4, 79% or more of isolates of each biotype were of just three different PFGE profiles. Because of this, four known outbreaks of yersiniosis would not have been identified by PFGE analysis. However, a previously unrecognized potential outbreak of yersiniosis caused by biotype 4 isolates was identified on the basis of a rare PFGE genotype with spatial and temporal clustering. We conclude that PFGE has a very limited application to the genotyping of Y. enterocolitica biotypes 2, 3 and 4, and inferences based on finding indistinguishable PFGE profiles among cases or between cases and sources need to be substantiated using alternative typing tools, or strong epidemiological evidence.