Identification of pathogenic strains within serogroups of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and the presence of non-pathogenic strains isolated from animals and the environment.

The existence of apathogenic strains of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Yp) has not so far been reported. Recently, the authors characterized new serogroups and a new subgroup in Yp, that is, O9, O10, O12, O13 and O14 and O1c, and the pathogenicity of these new strains was of interest. A total of 137 strains of serogroups O1c, O6, O7, O9, O10, O11, O12, O13 and O14 of Yp were investigated for their pathogenicity in vivo and in vitro. Although catalase activity and the inv gene were detected in all strains except those of groups O13 and O14, only a few strains, from serogroups O6 and O10 caused severe infection in mice. The remaining strains caused no mortality or severe infection even when they grew in limited tissues of infected mice. All the strains of Yp not possessing the virulence plasmid p YV caused no severe infection in mice. It is evident that less pathogenic Yp exists and that not only pathogenic but also less pathogenic Yp organisms exist in the same serogroup.