title: Genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from pigs and humans in Lithuania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Yersiniosis is one of the three leading foodborne zoonoses in Lithuania, and the incidence of 12.86 per 100,000 population was the highest among EU member states in 2010. Contaminated pig carcasses and subsequently undercooked pig meat are considered to be the primary transmission vehicle of enteropathogenic Y. enterocolitica to consumers. With the aim of evaluating pigs as a possible source of human yersiniosis in Lithuania, this study investigated the genetic diversity of Y. enterocolitica isolated from pigs and human cases of yersiniosis. In addition, the antimicrobial resistance of selected isolates from both sources was compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 83 Y. enterocolitica strains were characterised using pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Overall, 68% of Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 pulsotypes found in human clinical samples were identical to 81% of pulsotypes found in the pig production chain. Yersinia enterocolitica pulsotype II was confirmed as the dominant pulsotype in the pig production chain and was identical to nine of 19 Y. enterocolitica strains found in humans. All tested Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains were resistant to ampicillin and erythromycin and sensitive to ciprofloxacin. Of the strains studied, 5% were resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that pigs may be the main source of human yersiniosis in Lithuania. In addition, Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains isolated from the pig production chain and from yersiniosis patients shared similar resistance to different antimicrobials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Quality, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės 18, LT-47181, Kaunas, Lithuania. aleksandr.novoslavskij@lva.lt
authors.forename: Aleksandr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Novoslavskij
authors.forename: Eglė
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kudirkienė
authors.forename: Audronė
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcinkutė
authors.forename: Almina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bajoriūnienė
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Korkeala
authors.forename: Mindaugas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malakauskas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents