Comments on the ecology and epidemiology of Yersinia enterocolitica in Czechoslovakia.

On the basis of the information disseminated by the Reference Laboratory in 1968, the microbiological diagnosis of Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye) was gradually mastered by all Czechoslovak microbiological laboratories. The most frequent serotype isolated in man was Ye 03. Isolation predominated from cases of diarrhoea, less often from appendectomies, and only one case of septicaemia was described. Usually only sporadic cases occur and outbreaks are rare. A few strains of Ye 05 were found in diarrhoeas. Epidemiological analysis of Ye diarrhoeas showed that infections due to Ye 03 occurred prevalently in small children in large cities; infected people were only rarely in direct contact with pigs or other domestic animals suspected as possible vectors. One interhuman transfer (two young children in one family, incubation period 7 days) was observed. Ye 03 was isolated only from man, pig, dog, cat and rats from pig houses; on the other hand, in wildlife, water (drinking and surface water) and foodstuffs other Ye serotypes, and mostly biotype 1, are found.