[Three cases of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis gastrointestinal infection having no apparent epidemiological relationship, caused by identical strains]

Gastrointestinal infections caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis are uncommon in our country and the epidemiology of the infection is uncertain.We describe three cases of Y. pseudotuberculosis gastrointestinal infection, all detected within one month of time. A possible epidemiological relationship among these cases, as well as the microbial characteristics of the isolates, was investigated. RESULTS. No epidemiological relationships were found among the three cases. Nevertheless, all three isolates were identical according to phenotyping and molecular marker studies.This report discusses the possible source of infection in these cases, with reference to published data from sporadic cases and outbreaks of infection by this microorganism. We suggest that future studies are needed to know the real incidence of Y. pseudotuberculosis in our country.