Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye) is one of the major causes of foodborne zoonosis. The BT4/O:3 bioserotype is most commonly isolated in human infections. Pigs are considered the main reservoir of Ye, and hence, understanding the dynamics of infection by this pathogen at the individual and group levels is crucial. In the present study, an experimental model was validated in Large White pigs infected with a BT4/O:3 strain. This study showed that Ye contamination in pigs may occur via the introduction of the bacteria not only by mouth but also by snout, with a colonization process consisting of three periods corresponding to three contamination statuses of pigs: P1, corresponding to the 24 h following ingestion or inhalation of Ye with the appearance of bacteria in tonsils or in feces; P2, from 2 days postinoculation (dpi), corresponding to expansion of Ye and colonization of the digestive system and extraintestinal organs associated with an IgG serological response; and P3, after 21 dpi, corresponding to regression of colonization with intermittent Ye detection in tonsils and feces. Although the inoculated strain persisted up to 56 dpi in all pigs, genetic variations with the loss of the gene yadA (a gene involved in human infection) and the emergence of two new multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) profiles were observed in 33% of the 30 isolates studied. This experimental infection model of pigs by Ye provides new insights into the colonization steps in pigs in terms of bacterial distribution over time and bacterial genetic stability.
Keywords: ELISA; MLVA; Yersinia enterocolitica; animal models; genetic stability; pigs; pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; similar to animal models; virulence genes.