What is yersiniosis?
Yersiniosis is a diarrheal illness caused by one of the
Yersinia species bacteria. Persons with yersiniosis
usually have:
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Abdominal pain
Who gets yersiniosis?
Anyone can get yersiniosis by eating food or
drinking water contaminated with Yersinia bacteria.
How is yersiniosis spread?
- You get yersiniosis by eating food or drinking water
contaminated with Yersinia bacteria.
- A person who
has yersiniosis may also infect other people directly
through the fecal-oral route.
- While many animals carry Yersinia bacteria, the two
animals that are most commonly infected are pigs
and rodents.
- Raw pork intestines (chitterlings) are
frequently contaminated with Yersinia bacteria.
- Raw
or unpasteurized milk may also be contaminated
with Yersinia.
What are the symptoms of yersiniosis?
- Nearly everyone who has yersiniosis will have
diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain.
- Older children
and adults may develop severe abdominal pain that resembles appendicitis (inflammation of the
appendix).
- Some adults may develop arthritis
(inflammation of the joints) after the diarrhea has
resolved.
How soon after exposure do symptoms
appear?
Abdominal symptoms can occur 1-14 days after
infection.
How is yersiniosis diagnosed?
Yersiniosis is diagnosed by isolating Yersinia
bacteria from a person who infected with the
bacteria. The bacteria are most frequently isolated
from stool, but may also be isolated from other
sources, including the throat, lymph nodes, and
blood.
What is the treatment for yersiniosis?
Doctors can prescribe antibiotics for yersiniosis.
How can yersiniosis be prevented?
- Pork and all meat products should be cooked
thoroughly before they are eaten.
- People who are
preparing meals should be very careful to wash their hands thoroughly after handling these foods, and
especially before handling any other foods or drinks.
- People who are preparing raw pork intestines (chitterlings) need to be particularly careful.
- People
should also avoid drinking raw or unpasteurized
milk.
Where can I get more information?
Contact your physician or the Southern Nevada Health District, Office of Epidemiology at (702) 759-1300.
