Search

Yersinia enterocolitica is a psychrotrophic zoonotic foodborne pathogen. Pigs are considered the main reservoir of Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3, which is the most commonly isolated bioserotype in many European countries. Consuming pork contaminated with Y. enterocolitica can be a health threat, and antimicrobial-resistant strains may complicate the treatment of the most severe forms of yersiniosis. We analyzed the antimicrobial resistance of 1,016 pathogenic porcine Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains originating from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Based on available reports, we also compared antimicrobial sales for food production animals in these countries, excluding Russia. Antimicrobial resistance profiles were determined using a broth microdilution method with VetMIC plates for 13 antimicrobial agents: ampicillin, cefotaxime, ceftiofur (CTF), chloramphenicol (CHL), ciprofloxacin, florfenicol, gentamicin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid (NAL), streptomycin (STR), sulfamethoxazole (SME), tetracycline (TET), and trimethoprim (TMP). The antimicrobial resistance of Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains varied widely between the countries. Strains resistant to antimicrobial agents other than ampicillin were rare in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Russia, with prevalence of 0.7, 0.4, 0, and 8.3%, respectively. The highest prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was found in Spanish and Italian strains, with 98 and 61% of the strains being resistant to at least two antimicrobial agents, respectively. Resistance to at least four antimicrobial agents was found in 34% of Spanish, 19% of Italian, and 7.1% of English strains. Antimicrobial resistance was more common in countries where the total sales of antimicrobials for food production animals are high and orally administered medications are common. Our results indicate that antimicrobials should be used responsibly to treat infections, and parenteral medications should be preferred to orally administered mass medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Salmonella enterica represents a considerable public concern worldwide, with farm animals often recognised as an important reservoir. This study gives an overview of the prevalence and serotype diversity of Salmonella over a 5-year period in the meat production chain in Estonia. Data on human salmonellosis over the same period are provided. Methods: Salmonella surveillance data from 2016 to 2020 were analysed. Results: The prevalence of Salmonella at the farm level was 27.7%, 3.3% and 0.1% for fattening pigs, cattle and poultry, respectively. S. Derby was the most prevalent serotype at the farm level for fattening pigs and S. Dublin for cattle. The top three serotypes isolated at the slaughterhouse and meat cutting levels were S. Derby, monophasic S. Typhimurium and S. Typhimurium with proportions of 64.7%, 9.4% and 7.0%, respectively. These serotypes were the top five most common Salmonella serotypes responsible for human infections in Estonia. S. Enteritidis is the main cause (46.9%) of human salmonellosis cases in Estonia, but in recent years, Enteritidis has not been detected at the slaughterhouse or meat cutting level. Conclusion: In recent years, monophasic S. Typhimurium has become epidemiologically more important in Estonia, with the second-highest cause in human cases and third-highest among the most prevalent serotypes of Salmonella enterica in the meat chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tonsils of 457 fattening pigs from Estonia (n = 151), Latvia (n = 109), and the Leningrad Region of Russia (n = 197) were collected between 2004 and 2007 to study the prevalence of enteropathogenic Yersinia in slaughter pigs. Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis were isolated by selective and cold enrichment. Pathogenic Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis were identified by PCR targeting the chromosomal genes ail and inv, respectively. The presence of the virulence plasmid was confirmed by PCR targeting the virF gene of Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis. The prevalence of ail-positive Y. enterocolitica was 89% in Estonia, 64% in Latvia, and 34% in Russia, with 81% of ail-positive samples being virF-positive. A statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference between Estonian and Latvian pigs and between pigs from Latvia and the Leningrad Region of Russia was observed when assuming randomized sampling. Y. enterocolitica bioserotype 4/O:3 was the only pathogenic type found. The prevalence of inv and virF-positive Y. pseudotuberculosis was higher in Russia (7%) than in Latvia (5%) and Estonia (1%), with a statistically significant difference between pigs from Estonia and the Leningrad Region of Russia when assuming both randomized sampling and clustering at farms. All Y. pseudotuberculosis isolates were bioserotype 2/O:3. A total of eight pigs (2%), one pig from Latvia and seven pigs from the Leningrad Region of Russia, carried both pathogenic Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis in the tonsils. Cold enrichment was found to be a more efficient method compared to selective enrichment to isolate both species. Pigs seem to be an important reservoir of human enteropathogenic Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 and Y. pseudotuberculosis 2/O:3 in these countries.