Yersinia enterolitica in salads and herbs – a study
Yersinia enterolitica is one of the most common pathogens transmitted through the food chain. The consumption of raw or inadequately heated pork and untreated drinking water are particularly considered the main causes of infection. However, there have also been outbreaks traced back to raw, ready-to-eat plant-based foods. Six different biotypes of Yersinia enterolitica are known, which have varying degrees of human pathogenicity.
For this reason, a study was conducted in Switzerland on pre-cut, washed salads and fresh herbs to investigate the presence and frequency of Yersinia enterolitica. Products were purchased from retail stores and qualitatively analyzed. Yersinia enterolitica was detected in 25% of the samples, but these Yersinia species did not belong to the pathogenic types. Additionally, 33 isolates were further characterized through whole genome sequencing. Although 3 clusters were found that are attributable to the raw materials, there was no match between these clusters or isolates and human strains found in Switzerland in recent years.
Currently, the data on plant-based foods is still quite thin and often lacks further typing data on the isolates.
Yersinia enterolitica can cause infections resulting in abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and fever. Long-term effects such as chronic gastrointestinal disorders may also occur.
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Source: Rundschau für Fleischhygiene und Lebensmittelüberwachung (RFL)
www.bfr.bund.de
