This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Niskanen, T.
Right arrow Articles by Korkeala, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Niskanen, T.
Right arrow Articles by Korkeala, H.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Niskanen, T.
Right arrow Articles by Korkeala, H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2003, p. 4670-4675, Vol. 69, No. 8
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.8.4670-4675.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

virF-Positive Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica Found in Migratory Birds in Sweden{dagger}

Taina Niskanen,1* Jonas Waldenström,2,3 Maria Fredriksson-Ahomaa,1,4 Björn Olsen,5,6 and Hannu Korkeala1

Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland,1 Department of Animal Ecology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund,2 Ottenby Bird Observatory, SE-380 65 Degerhamn,3 Department of Infectious Diseases, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå,5 Research Institute for Zoonotic Ecology and Epidemiology Ölands Skogsby, SE-396 93 Färjestaden, Sweden,6 Institute of Hygiene and Technology of Food of Animal Origin, D-80539 Munich, Germany4

Received 27 January 2003/ Accepted 4 June 2003

During spring and autumn migrations, 468 fecal samples from 57 different species of migratory birds were collected in Sweden. In total, Yersinia spp. were isolated from 12.8% of collected samples. The most commonly found species was Yersinia enterocolitica, which was isolated from 5.6% of all collected samples, followed by Y. intermedia (3.8%), Y. frederiksenii (3.0%), Y. kristensenii (0.9%), Y. pseudotuberculosis (0.6%), and Y. rohdei (0.4%). The pathogenic, virF-positive Y. pseudotuberculosis strains were recovered from three thrushes. These strains belonged to the same bioserotype, 1/O:2, but had two different profiles as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with NotI and SpeI enzymes. In addition, 10 Y. enterocolitica strains, all from barnacle geese, belonged to bioserotype 3/O:3, which is associated with human disease. Two of the strains were pathogenic, carrying the virF gene on their plasmids. All pathogenic Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica strains were recovered during the spring, and as the birds were caught during active migration they likely became infected at an earlier stage of the migration, thus potentially transporting these bacterial pathogens over long geographical distances.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 57, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358-9-191 49701. Fax: 358-9-191 49718. E-mail: taina.niskanen{at}helsinki.fi.

{dagger} This is contribution no. 190 from the Ottenby Bird Observatory.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2003, p. 4670-4675, Vol. 69, No. 8
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.8.4670-4675.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Laukkanen, R., Martinez, P. O., Siekkinen, K.-M., Ranta, J., Maijala, R., Korkeala, H. (2008). Transmission of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in the Pork Production Chain from Farm to Slaughterhouse. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 5444-5450 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Aschfalk, A., Kemper, N., Arnemo, J. M., Veiberg, V., Rosef, O., Neubauer, H. (2008). Prevalence of Yersinia species in healthy free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Norway. Vet Rec. 163: 27-28 [Full Text]  
  • Hubalek, Z. (2004). AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH MIGRATORY BIRDS. J Wildl Dis 40: 639-659 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»