Zbl. Bakt. 277, 403-405 (1992) © Gustav Fischer Verlag, StuttgartlNew York

Short Communication

Yersinia enterocolitica Serovar 1,2a,3 Biovar 3 in Chinchillas

HANNS-HERBERT WUTHE and STOJANKA ALEKSIC

Lebensmittel- und Veterinaruntersuchungsamt des Landes Schleswig-Holstein, 2350 Neumiinster, and Medizinaluntersuchungsanstalt, Hygienisches Institut der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg, 2000 Hamburg 26, Germany

Received March 25, 1992 . Revision received April 22, 1992

Summary

Yersinia enterocolitica (serovar 1,2a, 3; biovar 3, autoagglutination test positive) was isolated in a chinchilla, in which autopsy showed the typical lesions associated with pseudotuberculosis. We assume that this "chinchilla type" of Yersinia enterocolitica still persists among stock, more than thirty years after its discovery. A brief overview of the distribution of the pathogen in Europe and North America is given.

Zusammenfassung

Yersinia enterocolitica (Serovar 1, 2a, 3; Biovar 3; Autoagglutinationstest positiv) wurde bei einer Chinchilla, die bei der Sektion die typischen Veranderungen der Pseudotuberkulose zeigte, nachgewiesen. Es wird angenommen, daB dieser "Chinchillatyp" von Yersinia ente­rocolitica nach mehr als dreiBig Jahren seit seiner Entdeckung noch in den Bestanden persistiert. Eine kurze Literaturiibersicht zur Verbreitung des Erregers in Europa und Nord­amerika wird gegeben.

Introduction

It appears that Yersinia enterocolitica was isolated from chinchillas for the first time in 1959 in Canada (9) and in 1960 Denmark (6). In the following years, reports of outbreaks were published in several countries of Europe and North America. In more recent literature, there do not appear to be any reports on the occurrence of this disease. For this reason, a case recently observed is described.

404 H.-H. Wuthe and S. Aleksic

Case Report

A small colony of chinchillas had been kept for approximately two years. About six months ago, an additional animal was purchased from a pet shop. Subsequently five animals died. The last animal to die was autopsied in November 1991. The liver and the spleen were found to be enlarged and, like the lung, contained grayish granulomas. Such foci were also found in the intestinal mucosa. Fibrinous enterocolitis was seen. Yersinia enterocolitica serovar 1, 2a, 3 (biovar 3) was isolated in pure culture from the organs and the contents of the intestine. The strain was positive in the autoagglutina­tion test (2).

Discussion

The autopsied animal showed the lesions associated with pseudotuberculosis which resembled those caused in the chinchilla by the organism that is the classical cause of this disease, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (14). Becht (3) was the first to report on diseased chinchillas in which autopsies showed pseudotuberculous lesions, but the isolates differed biochemically and serologically from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Siegmann (14) isolated this bacterium in Germany in September 1961. These cases were connected with a large company in Switzerland, which had also supplied the chinchillas studied by Becht (3). In the Swiss cases, there were indications that an infected animal had originally come from California (3). The bacteria were first desig­nated Pasteurella X (5), but soon thereafter named Yersinia enterocolitica (6). Further reports on infections in chinchillas caused by Y. enterocolitica, which commonly had been fatal, appeared in the Netherlands (1,4,5), Belgium (7), France (11), Sweden (8), Mexico and the USA (17).

Serovar and biovar of strains from the USA, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany were identical (12), so that it can be assumed that this is a connected epizootiological event. Mollaret et al. (10) assigned this "chinchilla type" to biovar 3; antigens 1, 1,2a or 1,2a, 3 were determined. The strain isolated in the present case had identical serological and biochemical properties. The positive result of the autoagglutination test indicated its pathogenicity. We can assume that the "chinchilla type" of Yersinia enterocolitica still persists enzootically among stocks. Animals that are in the incubation stage (14) or are latent carriers (10) can transmit yersiniae to healthy chinchillas. In the present case, the infection had probably been transmitted from the pet shop to the chinchilla colony.

Further, it should be noted that other serovar-biovar combinations of Yersinia en­terocolitica can lead to disease and death in experimental (13) and natural (12, 15, 16) infections.

References

1. Akkermans, j. P. W. M. and j. I. Terpstra: Pseudotuberculosis in chinchillas caused by a special species (in Dutch). Tijdschr. Diergeneesk. 88 (1963) 91-95

2. Aleksic. S., j. Bockemuhl, H.-H. Wuthe, and V. Aleksic: Occurrence and clinical im­portance of the pathogenic serogroup 0: 5,27 of Yersinia enterocolitica in the Federal

Y. enterocolitica Serovar 1,2a,3 Biovar 3 in Chinchillas 405

Republic of Germany and methods for its serological and bacteriological identification. Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. A 269 (1988) 197-204

3. Becht, H.: Untersuchungen tiber die Pseudotuberkulose beim Chinchilla. Dtsch. Tierarztl. Wschr. 69 (1962) 626-627

4. Daniels, }. J. H. M.: Untersuchungen an als Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis diagnosti­zierten Stammen von Chinchillas. Zbl. Vet.-Med. 10 (1963) 413-417

5. Daniels, J. J. H. M. and C. Goudswaard: Some strains of a not identified species resembling Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis, isolated in rodents (in Dutch). Tijdschr. Diergeneesk. 88 (1963) 96-102

6. Frederiksen, W.: A study of some pseudotuberculosis-like bacteria. Proc. XIV Scandina­vian Congress of Pathology and Microbiology, pp. 103-104. Universitet Forlaget Tryk­ningssentral, Oslo (1964)

7. Halen, P. et B. Meulemans: Une infection a Yersinia enterocolitica chez des chinchillas et des oiseaux de voliere. Med. Malad. Infect. 1 (1971) 227-228

8. Knapp, W. und E. ThaI: Untersuchungen tiber die kulturell-biochemischen, serologi­schen, tierexperimentellen und immunologischen Eigenschaften einer vorlaufig Pasteu­rella X benannten Bakterienart. Zbl. Bakt., 1. Abt. Orig. 190 (1963) 472-484

9. Langford, E. V.: Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from animals in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Canad. Vet. J. 13 (1972) 109-113

10. Mollaret, H. H., H. Bercovier, and J. M. Alonso: Summary of the data received at the WHO Reference Center for Yersinia enterocolitica. Contrib. Microbiol. Immunol. 5 (1979) 174-184

11. Mol/aret, H. H. et A. Chevalier: Contribution a l'etude d'un nouveau group de germes proches du bacille de Malassez et Vignal. 1. Caracteres culturaux et biochimiques. Ann. Inst. Pasteur 107 (1964) 121-127

12. Nitehn, B.: Studies on Yersinia enterocolitica. Acta path. micro bioI. scand. Supp!. 206 (1969) 1-48

13. Raevuori, M., S. M. Harvey, and M. J. Pickett: Yersinia enterocolitica. Experimental pathogenicity for chinchilla. Acta vet. scand. 20 (1979) 82-91

14. Siegmann, 0.: Zur Epizootologie der Pseudotuberkulose beim Chinchilla. Kleintier­Prax.9 (1965) 17-19

15. Soulias, J.: Infection a Yersinia enterocolitica chez l'animal - Bilan des connaissances actuelles, pp. 1-115. These Yet., Paris (1976)

16. Toma, S., L. Lafleur, and V. R. Deidrick: Canadian experience with Yersinia en­terocolitica (1968-1977). Contrib. Microbiol. Immunol. 5 (1979) 144-149

17. Wetzler, T. F. and W. T. Hubbert: Yersinia enterocolitica in North America. Symp. Ser. Immunobiol. Standard. 9 (1968) 343-356

Dr. Dr. habil. H.-H. Wuthe, Lebensmittel- und Veterinaruntersuchungsamt des Landes Schleswig-Holstein, Postfach 2743, Max-Eyth-Str. 5, 0-2350 Neumtinster