Yersinia enterocolitica Serovar O:8 Infection in Breeding Monkeys in Japan

Abstract

In the period from December 2002 to January 2003, 5 of 50 squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) housed at a Zoological Garden in the Kanto region of Japan died following a few days' history of diarrhea. After this outbreak had ended in the squirrel monkeys, 1 of 2 dark-handed gibbons (Hylobates agilis) died in April of 2003, showing similar clinical signs. We examined the organs of 3 of the dead squirrel monkeys and of the dark-handed gibbon, and Yersinia enterocolitica serovar O:8, which is the most pathogenic serovar of Y. enterocolitica, was isolated. In order to determine the source and the transmission route of infection, 98 fecal samples (45 from squirrel monkeys, 20 from other monkeys of 18 different species, and 33 from black rats captured around the monkey houses) and 7 water samples were collected in the Zoological Garden, and were examined for the prevalence of Y. enterocolitica serovar O:8. Serovar O:8 was isolated from 21 of 65 monkeys (32.3%) and 5 of 33 (15.2%) black rats (Rattus rattus). Furthermore, we examined the 30 isolates using molecular typing methods, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), ribotyping using the RiboPrinter system, and restriction endonuclease analysis of virulence plasmid DNA (REAP), and compared the isolates in this outbreak with Japanese O:8 isolates previously identified. Genotyping showed that almost all the isolates were identical, and the genotype of the isolates was highly similar to that from wild rodents captured in Niigata Prefecture. This is the first report of fatal cases of Y. enterocolitica serovar O:8 infection in monkeys anywhere in the world.

Essential Role of Invasin for Colonization and Persistence of Yersinia enterocolitica in Its Natural Reservoir Host, the Pig

“…Indistinguishable genotypes have been found among strains isolated from humans and wild rodents, and small rodents are considered responsible for human infections and outbreaks in monkeys in Japan (42,43). In one single study, employing an experimental oral pig model, a conventional large breed was used to assess the pathogenic potential of a restriction-deficient (R Ϫ M ϩ ) derivative of strain O:8 8081v.…”

Molecular epidemiology ofYersinia enterocoliticainfections

“…Indistinguishable genotypes were found among strains isolated from humans, wild rodents and pigs, indicating that wild rodents and pigs are possible infection sources for human Y. enterocolitica O:8 infections. Iwata et al (2005) recently reported the first fatal cases of Y. enterocolitica O:8 infection in monkeys. Using PFGE, ribotyping and REAP, they demonstrated that the genotypes of almost all outbreak isolates were undistinguishable from each other, indicating a common infection source.…”

Yersinia enterocolitica: Epidemiological Studies and Outbreaks

“…They found that all 38 strains of serotype O:5,27 possessed inv, ail , and ys t genes, suggesting that untreated water may be responsible for the human infection with Y. enterocolitica . In another study, Y. enterocolitica O:8 strains have been isolated from stream water in Japan, which indicate that stream water may be a possible infection source for human Y. enterocolitica O:8 infections [84, 123]. …”