UNUSUAL YERSINIA-ENTEROCOLITICA STRAINS RECOVERED FROM DOMESTIC-ANIMALS AND PEOPLE IN NEW-ZEALAND

Twenty five isolates of Yersinia recovered from the faeces of cattle, sheep, goats and people in New Zealand were characterised biochemicall y and serologically and were found to be unrelated to any known Yersin ia species. Two phenotypes were identified biochemically. Testing agai nst all known O-factors of Yersinia showed that the isolates were sero logically unique and two new serotypes were proposed, O:77 and O:78. D eoxyribonucleic acid relatedness studies indicated that the strains fo rmed a homogeneous group, closely related to Yersinia enterocolitica. The definitive status of the isolates has not yet been decided.