Bloodstream infection caused by Yersinia enterocolitica in a host with ankylosing spondylitis: a case report and literature review

Seek and you shall find: Yersinia enterocolitica in Ireland's drinking water

INTRODUCTION

Three Yersinia species were identified from samples of drinking water from diverse geographic regions of Ireland. Conventional commercial biochemical identification systems classified them as Yersinia enterocolitica. Since this organism is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in some countries, further investigation was warranted. The aim of the study was to provide a microbial characterisation of three Yersinia species, to determine their pathogenicity, and to review the incidence rate of Yersinia enterocolitica detection in our region.

METHODS

Organism identification was performed using conventional commercial diagnostic systems MALDI-TOF, API 20E, API 50CHE, TREK Sensititre GNID and Vitek 2 GN, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed. Historical data for detections was extracted from the lab system for 2008 to 2023.

RESULTS

All three isolates gave "good" identifications of Yersinia enterocolitica on conventional systems. Further analysis by WGS matched two of the isolates with recently described Yersinia proxima, and the third was a member of the non-pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica clade 1Aa.

DISCUSSION

Our analysis of these three isolates deemed them to be Yersinia species not known currently to be pathogenic, but determining this necessitated the use of next-generation sequencing and advanced bioinformatics. Our work highlights the importance of having this technology available to public laboratories, either locally or in a national reference laboratory. The introduction of molecular technologies for the detection of Yersinia species may increase the rate of detections. Accurate identification of significant pathogens in environmental, public health and clinical microbiology laboratories is critically important for the protection of society.

Yersinia enterocolitica Bacteremia Associated with a Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Case Report with Literature Review

Yersinia enterocolitica is a foodborne pathogen, mainly associated with disorders involving the gastrointestinal tract, including diarrhea, ileitis, and mesenteric lymphadenitis. Extraintestinal presentation is uncommon in healthy individuals, but bacteremia is reported in immunocompromised hosts. We present a 74-year-old male with Y. enterocolitica serogroup O:3 bacteremia who complicated to rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. With the current case report, we aimed to emphasize the association of Y. enterocolitica bacteremia with abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture. Better surveillance is needed, not only to reduce morbidity and mortality but also to update current epidemiological data on the incidence of such associations.