title: Yersinia enterocolitica: an unlikely cause of positive brucellosis tests in greater yellowstone ecosystem bison (Bison bison).
abstract: Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 has identical O-antigens to those of Brucella abortus and has apparently caused false-positive reactions in numerous brucellosis serologic tests in elk (Cervus canadensis) from southwest Montana. We investigated whether a similar phenomenon was occurring in brucellosis antibody-positive bison (Bison bison) using Y. enterocolitica culturing techniques and multiplex PCR of four diagnostic loci. Feces from 53 Yellowstone bison culled from the population and 113 free-roaming bison from throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) were tested. Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 was not detected in any of 53 the bison samples collected at slaughter facilities or in any of the 113 fecal samples from free-ranging bison. One other Y. enterocolitica serotype was isolated; however, it is not known to cause cross-reaction on B. abortus serologic assays because it lacks the perosamine synthetase gene and thus the O-antigens. These findings suggest that Y. enterocolitica O:9 cross-reactivity with B. abortus antigens is unlikely to have been a cause of false-positive serology tests in GYE bison and that Y. enterocolitica prevalence was low in bison in the GYE during this study.
authors: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA.
authors: Wade
authors: W
authors: See
authors: William H
authors: WH
authors: Edwards
authors: Stacey
authors: S
authors: Dauwalter
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Almendra
authors: Martin D
authors: MD
authors: Kardos
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Lowell
authors: Rick
authors: R
authors: Wallen
authors: Steven L
authors: SL
authors: Cain
authors: William E
authors: WE
authors: Holben
authors: Gordon
authors: G
authors: Luikart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016164:Bison / Q000382:microbiology*; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D002007:Brucellosis, Bovine / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009009:Montana / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial