ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL YERSINIA ISOLATES IN THE REPUBLIC-OF-GEORGIA

The Center for Infectious Diseases Control, Georgian Ministry of Healt h, isolated 2,493 Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. enterocolitica-like s trains, 22 Y. pestis strains, and 21 Y. pseudotuberculosis strains fro m 130,574 clinical and environmental samples. Analysis of 100 Y. enter ocolitica and Y. enterocolitica-like strains showed none to be within traditional pathogenic biogroups or serogroups, and none carried genet ic markers for virulence. However, some strains were enterotoxigenic i n infant mice, while others were associated with prolonged carriage in adult mice.