Yersiniosis
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Synonyms and keywords: pseudotuberculosis
Overview
Yersiniosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia. In the United States, most yersiniosis infections among humans are caused by Y. enterocolitica. Yersiniosis is mentioned as a specific zoonotic disease to prevent outbreaks in European Council Directive 92/117/EEC.[1] It is also known as pseudotuberculosis.[2]
Risk Factors
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]
Epidemiology and Demographics
Infection with Y. enterocolitica occurs most often in young children.
Symptoms
Infection with Y. enterocolitica can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the age of the person infected, therefore it's often referred to as "monkey of diseases". Common symptoms in children are fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Symptoms typically develop 4 to 7 days after exposure and may last 1 to 3 weeks or longer. In older children and adults, right-sided abdominal pain and fever may be the predominant symptoms, and may be confused with appendicitis. In a small proportion of cases, complications such as skin rash, joint pains, ileitis, erythema nodosum, and sometimes septicemia, acute arthritis[2] or the spread of bacteria to the bloodstream (bacteremia) can occur.
Treatment
Treatment for gastroenteritis due to Y. enterocolitica is not needed in the majority of cases. Severe infections with systemic involvemenet (sepsis and bacteremia) often requires aggressive antibiotic therapy; the drugs of choice are doxycicline and an amynoglycoside. Alternatives include cefotaxime, co-trimoxazole and fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin.[4][5]
References
- ↑ European Council Directive 92/117/EEC
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Yersiniosis". Medical Dictionary. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
- ↑ Jones TF (August 2003). "From pig to pacifier: chitterling-associated yersiniosis outbreak among black infants". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 9 (8): 1007–9. doi:10.3201/eid0908.030103. PMC 3020614. PMID 12967503.
- ↑ Torok E. Oxford MHandbook of Infect Dis and Microbiol, 2009
- ↑ Collins FM (1996). Pasteurella, and Francisella. In: Barron's Medical Microbiology (Barron S et al., eds.) (4th ed.). Univ of Texas Medical Branch. ISBN 0-9631172-1-1. (via NCBI Bookshelf).