title: Multispecies Epidemiologic Surveillance Study after an Outbreak of Yersiniosis at an African Green Monkey Research Facility.
abstract: After an outbreak of Yersinia enterocolitica at a NHP research facility, we performed a multispecies investigation of the prevalence of Yersinia spp. in various mammals that resided or foraged on the grounds of the facility, to better understand the epizootiology of yersiniosis. Blood samples and fecal and rectal swabs were obtained from 105 captive African green monkeys (AGM), 12 feral cats, 2 dogs, 20 mice, 12 rats, and 3 mongooses. Total DNA extracted from swab suspensions served as template for the detection of Y. enterocolitica DNA by real-time PCR. Neither Y. enterocolitica organisms nor their DNA were detected from any of these samples. However, Western blotting revealed the presence of Yersinia antibodies in plasma. The AGM samples revealed a seroprevalence of 91% for Yersinia spp. and of 61% for Y. enterocolitica specifically. The AGM that were housed in cages where at least one fatality occurred during the outbreak (clinical group) had similar seroprevalence to that of AGM housed in unaffected cages (nonclinical group). However, the nonclinical group was older than the clinical group. In addition, 25%, 100%, 33%, 10%, and 10% of the sampled local cats, dogs, mongooses, rats, and mice, respectively, were seropositive. The high seroprevalence after this outbreak suggests that Y. enterocolitica was transmitted effectively through the captive AGM population and that age was an important risk factor for disease. Knowledge regarding local environmental sources of Y. enterocolitica and the possible role of wildlife in the maintenance of yersiniosis is necessary to prevent and manage this disease.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA; School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies. sotomartinez@ucdavis.edu.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loftis
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boruta
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rostad
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies; Behavioural Science Foundation, Estridge Estate, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beierschmitt
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Stewart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies; Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Fakultät, University of Bern, Liebefeld, Switzerland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berezowski
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Illanes
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Recinos
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Maziel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arauz
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Dustine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies.
authors.forename: Trellor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fraites
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Foundation, Estridge Estate, St Kitts, West Indies; Departments of Psychiatry and Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palmour
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008988:Herpestidae; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000302:isolation & purification