title: High prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in pig cheeks.
abstract: Samples from pork cuts for minced meat and cheeks from processing plants and a slaughterhouse, and modified atmosphere (MA) packaged pork from retail were studied to estimate the prevalence of pathogenic, i.e. virulence plasmid bearing, Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in pork, as well as to quantify pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in pork cuts. Pathogenic (virF-positive) Y. enterocolitica was isolated from 17 pig cheeks (23%) but not from any of the MA-packaged 54 retail pork samples and only from one of the 155 pork cut (0.6%). Most (16/17) of the cheek samples were contaminated with pathogenic Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 and one with bioserotype 2/O:9. No Y. pseudotuberculosis was isolated. The prevalence of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica was clearly higher (39%) in 155 pork cuts when studied with nested PCR targeting yadA on the virulence plasmid pYV although the contamination level was low varying between 0.1 and 1.6 MPN/g. Raw pork cuts and especially pig cheeks may serve as possible sources for yersiniosis caused by pathogenic Y. enterocolitica.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 66, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: riikka.laukkanen-ninios@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Riikka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laukkanen-Ninios
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 66, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredriksson-Ahomaa
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 66, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maijala
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 66, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Korkeala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002610:Cheek / Q000382:microbiology*; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Musculus masseter; Pork; Yersinia enterocolitica; Zoonosis