Application of Yersinia kristensenii bacteriocin as a specific marker for the rapid identification of suspected isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica.

Out of 143 suspected foods and clinical isolates of the genus Yersinia, 77 isolates were bacteriocin-sensitive and 66 bacteriocin non-sensitive. Of the 77 bacteriocin-sensitive isolates, 72 (93.5%) were identified as Y. enterocolitica and 5 (6.49%) as Y. frederiksenii. Out of 66 bacteriocin non-sensitive suspected isolates, 22 (33.3%) were identified as Yersinia spp. other than Y. enterocolitica and 43 (65.1%) were other Gram-negative bacteria with the exception of one (1.5%) isolate identified as Y. enterocolitica.