Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

Yersinia enterocolitica can cause enteritis, right lower-quadrant pain mimi cking appendicitis, reactive arthritis, and erythema nodosum. This organism is transmitted through food, animal contact, and contaminated blood produc ts. Patients with iron excess are at a higher risk for serious infection. T his article describes the history, microbiology, virulence factors, epidemi ology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and therapy of Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis. In addition, the immune response of those devel oping reactive arthitis following infection with Y. enterocolitica is discu ssed.