PathogenicYersinia enterocoliticaO:3 isolated from a hunted wild alpine ibex

Abstract

SUMMARYOccurrence ofYersiniaspp. in wild ruminants was studied and the strains were characterized to get more information on the epidemiology of enteropathogenicYersiniain the wildlife. In total, faecal samples of 77 red deer, 60 chamois, 55 roe deer and 27 alpine ibex were collected during 3 months of the hunting season in 2011. The most frequently identified species wasY. enterocoliticafound in 13%, 10%, 4% and 2% of roe deer, red deer, alpine ibex and chamois, respectively. Interestingly, oneY. enterocoliticaO:3 strain, isolated from an alpine ibex, carried the important virulence genes located on the virulence plasmid (yadA andvirF) and in the chromosome (ail,hreP,myfA andystA). Most of theY. enterocoliticastrains belonged to biotype 1A of which 14 wereystB positive. Further studies are needed to clarify the importance of alpine ibex as a reservoir of pathogenicY. enterocolitica.