ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Yersinia in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Yersinia enterocolitica is one of the three species within the Yersinia genus that are pathogenic to humans. Human yersiniosis is widely distributed and is generally a sporadic infection; however, it is the third most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in developed countries, after Campylobacter and Salmonella. Pigs and dogs are considered to be the primary reservoir of human pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains in the world, and the isolation rate from tonsil samples is the highest. While transmission of pathogen from animals to humans may occur, it is possible that the reverse route of transmission, that is, from humans to animals, may also take place. Although it is difficult to determine pathway of pathogen transmission between animals and humans, it is known that the infection is related to pigs, and pigs are the most important transmission vector.
