title: Low prevalence of human enteropathogenic Yersinia spp. in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Flanders.
abstract: Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) have been identified as potential carriers of Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, the etiological agents of yersiniosis, the third most reported bacterial zoonosis in Europe. Enteropathogenic Yersinia spp. are most often isolated from rats during yersiniosis cases in animals and humans, and from rats inhabiting farms and slaughterhouses. Information is however lacking regarding the extent to which rats act as carriers of these Yersinia spp.. In 2013, 1088 brown rats across Flanders, Belgium, were tested for the presence of Yersinia species by isolation method. Identification was performed using MALDI-TOF MS, PCR on chromosomal- and plasmid-borne virulence genes, biotyping and serotyping. Yersinia spp. were isolated from 38.4% of the rats. Of these, 53.4% were designated Y. enterocolitica, 0.7% Y. pseudotuberculosis and 49.0% other Yersinia species. Two Y. enterocolitica possessing the virF-, ail- and ystA-gene were isolated. Additionally, the ystB-gene was identified in 94.1% of the other Y. enterocolitica isolates, suggestive for biotype 1A. Three of these latter isolates simultaneously possessed the ail-virulence gene. Significantly more Y. enterocolitica were isolated during winter and spring compared to summer. Based on our findings we can conclude that brown rats are frequent carriers for various Yersinia spp., including Y. pseudotuberculosis and (human pathogenic) Y. enterocolitica which are more often isolated during winter and spring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lieze Oscar
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Rouffaer
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kristof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baert
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Laboratory, AZ Sint Lucas Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Van den Abeele
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Laboratory, AZ Sint Lucas Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gerty
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanantwerpen
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lieven
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Zutter
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Diederik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strubbe
authors.affiliation: Applied Maths NV, Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium.
authors.forename: Katleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vranckx
authors.affiliation: Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lens
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haesebrouck
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delmée
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martel
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D015995:Prevalence; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015011:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors