Patterns of infection by Salmonella and Yersinia spp. in commensal house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) populations.

AIMS

This study sought to examine the risk posed by house mice transmitting pathogens to livestock on typical mixed-agriculture farms in the UK.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In a 10-month longitudinal study at one farm, 222 faecal samples were taken from mice and 57 swabs from the farm environment; 3.2% and 15.8%, respectively, were positive for Yersinia. Seventy-five intestinal samples were taken from house mice from three other farms and 9.3% were positive for Yersinia. The commonest species was Y. enterocolitica (of a wide range of serotypes); all isolates were non-pathogenic, except one of Y. pseudotuberculosis. Salmonella was not isolated from any sample.

CONCLUSION

This study provides additional evidence that house mice are generally not significant vectors of either pathogenic Yersinia strains or Salmonella species.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This is the first longitudinal study of Yersinia in any small mammal population, and shows infection to be a dynamic series of generally non-pathogenic, transient infections.