ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The features of the diseases caused by Yersinia have not been properly evaluated in the Basque Country. The present study was performed to assess the incidence and consequences of this infection. METHODS: 51 cases of Yersinia infection in a general hospital during the period 1984-1989 were reviewed. Clinical, epidemiological, microbiological, and therapeutic data and the hospital stay were evaluated. RESULTS: 62% of patients were males with a mean age of 16 +/- 19.4 years. Most came from urban areas. 40% of cases developed in winter and 32% in summer. The presenting features were: acute gastroenteritis (66%), pseudoappendicitis (10%), sepsis (4%), lymphadenopathy (2%) and others (18%). 40% of the patients had significant underlying diseases, and 16% had complications attributable to the infection. The microbiological diagnosis was made by stool culture in 88%. 96% corresponded to Yersinia enterocolitica (biotype 4), serogroup 0: 3 (93%). Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was isolated from the culture of a cervical lymph node in one patient. In the Yersinia enterocolitica strains the most common antibiotic resistances were to ampicillin (87%), cephalotin (81%), ticarcillin (75%), mezlocillin (43%) and piperacillin (43%). The mean hospital stay was 6.1 +/- 12.2 days and it was significantly shorter in children (3.3 +/- 6.1%) than in the adult population (10.9 +/- 17.4) (p less than 0.05). It was longer in patients with underlying diseases (13.3 +/- 17.8 vs 3.3 +/- 5.6) (p less than 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Our patient population had male and urban predominance. Most infections were caused by Yersinia enterocolitica and presented as acute gastroenteritis, without differences between winter and summer. We point out to the relationship between Yersinia infection, abnormalities in iron metabolism and immunosuppression. There were few complications of the infection. The mean hospital stay was directly correlated with age and underlying diseases.
