Development of an ELISA procedure to detect swine carriers of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica

An enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) was developed to detect antibodies in pigs ag ainst the lipopolysaccharidic antigen of the three serotypes of Yersinia en terocolitica mostly associated with human infections. Recent epidemiologica l evidence has demonstrated that pigs and pork are important sources of yer siniosis in humans, The purpose of this study was to clarify the use of an ELISA to detect swine carriers of this enteroinvasive bacteria by examining seroconversion and tissue distribution of Y enterocolitica following exper imental infection and then screening pigs at a slaughterhouse by bacterial culture and ELISA. It was observed that seroconversion occurred in animals experimentally inoculated with Y enterocolitica but not with other enteroba cteria. It was also found that 27% of swine at a slaughterhouse carried the bacterium in their tonsils and/or intestinal tract, whereas 66% showed ser ological evidence of previous infection. About 6% of swine at slaughter wer e culture-positive, but seronegative. Although, similar numbers of swine sh owed serological evidence of previous infection by each of the three Y ente rocolitica serotypes tested, virtually all culture isolates belonged to ser otype 0:3. This ELISA appears as a valuable control tool that can be used, in conjunction with culture, to identify pigs or herds infected by strains of Y enterocolitica associated with human infections. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.