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Genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from pigs and humans in Lithuania
Marcinkutė, Audronė | |
Bajoriūnienė, Almina | Viešoji įstaiga Respublikinė tuberkuliozės ir infekcinių ligų universitetinė ligoninė |
Korkeala, Hannu | University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland |
Date Issued |
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2013-06-00 |
This study was supported by the Lithuanian State Science and Studies Foundation (project T-26/09) and the Research Council of Lithuania.
BACKGROUND: Yersiniosis is one of the three leading foodborne zoonoses in Lithuania, and the incidence of 12.86 per 100 000 population was the highest among EU member states in 2010. Contaminated pig carcasses and subsequently undercooked pig meat are considered to be the primary transmission vehicle of enteropathogenic Y. enterocolitica to consumers. With the aim of evaluating pigs as a possible source of human yersiniosis in Lithuania, we investigated the genetic diversity of Y. enterocolitica isolated from pigs and human cases of yersiniosis. In addition, the antimicrobial resistance of selected isolates from both sources was compared. RESULTS: In total 83 Y. enterocolitica strains were characterized using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Overall 68% of Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 pulsotypes found in human clinical samples were identical to 81% of pulsotypes found in the pig production chain. Yersinia enterocolitica pulsotype II was confirmed as the dominant pulsotype in the pig production chain and was identical to 9 of 19 Y. enterocolitica strains found in humans. All tested Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains were resistant to ampicillin and erythromycin and sensitive to ciprofloxacin. Of the strains studied, 5% were resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin. CONCLUSION: We showed that pigs may be the main source of human yersiniosis in Lithuania. In addition, Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains isolated from the pig production chain and yersiniosis patients shared similar resistance to different antimicrobials.