Yersinia enterocolitica: A Dangerous, But Often Ignored, Foodborne Pathogen

Yersinia enterocolitica is listed in the annual reports of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as the third-most-common enteropathogen. The highly pathogenic Y. enterocolitica bioserotype 1B/O8 is geographically limited to Northern America, although it has also emerged in Japan and Europe. Furthermore, the number of reports on the pathogenicity of serotype 1A (so far regarded as nonpathogenic) has been increasing. Humans are most often infected by consuming raw or inadequately thermally processed pork or milk as well as vegetable products and ready-to-eat meals. Identification of these bacteria in food presents considerable methodological problems.