Yersinia

(11 species)

Y. pestis
Y. enterocolitica
Y. pseudotuberculosis

Alexandra Pires
Irina Pires
Luisa Germer

General Information
MORPHOLOGY

Gram negative rod

1 2m x 0,4 0,8 m
Facultative anaerobe
Flagella
Microcapsule (Y. Pseudotuberculosis)
Ag O and H

BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Glucose +
Lactose
20-28C Optimal growth. Survive 4-6
(fridge temperatures)

VIRULENCE

Urease
Lecithinase
Hialuronidase
Invasin
YOMP
LPS

Diseases
Plague (Y.pestis) Bubonic,
septicemic or pneumonic
plague depending on site of
infection. Deadly disease
often spread through fleas
from smaller rodents.

A bubo (swollen lymph node) caused by bubonic

plague

Yersiniosis
(Y. enterocolitica 108)

Fever,
apendicitis-like abdominal pain
diarrhea (watery to bloody).
May lead to arthralgia, arthritis
and
erythema
nodosum.
Symptoms last ~1-3 weeks.

IP of 5-10 days
Fecal-oral route
Ingestion of contaminated food
(raw pork meat sanitary control)
Unspecific protection
Store food for max 3 days in fridge
(yersinia develops in low T)

erythema nodosum (inflammation of

subcutaneous adipose tissue)

Y. enterocolitica
pYV (Yersinia virulence plasmid)
1. yadA gene encodes the production
of adhesinmediates the binding of
bacteria to HEp-2 cells (Human
Epithelial cells)
2. yop genes encode the production of
Yops (Yersinia outer membrane
proteins) regulatory proteins,
which determine the resistance of
bacteria
to
local
immune
mechanisms.
3. ysc gene encodes the production of
Ysc proteins Yersinia secretion
complex.
4. virF is responsible for production of
transcriptional activator of the
Yersinia virulence regulon

Yersinosis treatment
Resistant to:
1. penicillins, ampicyllin, carbenicillin and firstgeneration cephalosporins.
2. The result of antibiotic treatment depends on
the form of yersiniosis
3. combined treatment is recommended, such as
aminoglycosides
with
third-generation
cephalosporins.
4. The presence of -lactamases that confer
antimicrobial resistance of some pathogenic
strains underscores the importance of Y.
enterocolitica surveillance
Kisiel, 2015

SAMPLE
(stool, urine,
blood)

TRANSPO
RT
Feces (Cary
Blair)
Hemoline,
Bactec

CULTIVATI
ON
(20-28C)

MEDIA
Endo
Levine
McConkey
Blood
agar

1 day
st

Culture
Stool sample feces/rectal swab placed in
buffered saline. pH 7.6 and 4C for 24
weeks (Yersinia will grow while other
bacteria die)
Simple Blood agar
Differential MacConkey agar, Levin
EMB, Endo agar
Yersinia-selective agar - cefsulodinIrgasan-novobiocin (CIN) agar at room
temperature for several days Y
enterocolitica colonies have a bulls eye
appearance with a red center on CIN agar.

1 day
st

Microscopy
Gram stain
Bipolar staining on
Wrights stain
pink polar ends,
colorless center (patients
blood sample)
Multiply in broth (TSB)
Facultative anaerobe

nd

Day

Examination of biochemical properties

1. Motility semi liquid agar
motile at lower temperatures (~25), unmotile at 37
2. TSI Agar
Glucose fermentation: acidic byproducts turn phenol red indicator
yellow
No Lactose fermentation; after glucose is used up, proteins are used:
phenol red indicator red again
3. Simmons agar
remains green, Yersinia is citrate negative
4. Urease test Urease positive

Catalase
+
Oxidase
Gram S:
Gram
bacillus
Flagella +
Giemsa:
Bipolar

BIOCHEM
PROPERTIE
S

UREASE
TEST

MICROSCO
PY

Urease
+

MOTILITY
TEST

IDENTIFICA
TION

Motile: 25C
Non-Motile:
37C

references
Yersiniosis a zoonotic foodborne disease of
relevance to public health. Annals of
Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 2015,
Vol 22, No 3, 397402
Jawetz, Melnick & Adelberg's Medical
Microbiology 26th Ed.