5-YEAR SURVEY OF HUMAN YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA INFECTIONS IN HUNGARY

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 23  (2) , 191-203
Abstract
Human infections associated with Y. enterocolitica in Hungary in 1969-1974 were surveyed. During this period the public health laboratory network isolated 1355 strains from 1096 persons. The number of isolates according to serogroups was: 1343 O3; 6 O9; 2 O1, 2a, 3; and 1 strain each for O5, O6, O10 and O15. A total of 2192 serum specimens from patients gave positive agglutination reaction with antigen O3 in 26.8%, with antigen O9 in 3.2%. Of bacteriologically positive persons, 56% had enteritis. Other clinical forms (pseudoappendicitis and other abdominal complaints, erythema nodosum, rheumatoid arthritis) were encountered in 0.1-2.7%. Symptomless excreters of Y. enterocolitica amounted to 23.1% of all positive persons. Patients with enteritis and symptomless excreters were rather evenly distributed between 10 and 60 yr of age; 1-9 yr old children were affected more frequently (47.7% of all positive persons). The male:female ratio was 1.5:1. In seasonal incidence yersiniosis differed from other enteric diseases: it showed a peak in the autumn-winter months. Sporadic cases and family outbreaks were the most frequent; epidemic infections in nurseries were also recorded. Of 59 animal strains, 39 group O3 cultures were isolated from pigs, which may be the most important reservoir of yersiniosis in Hungary.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: