Yersinia Enterocolitica, Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis
Yersinia Enterocolitica, Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET – INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES
SECTION I – INFECTIOUS AGENT
NAME: Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Yersiniosis, enterocolitis, pseudotuberculosis
CHARACTERISTICS: Gram negative rod-shaped to ovoid bacilli, some strains produce a heat-stabile enterotoxin (ST), serologic identification of somatic antigens (Y. pseudotuberculosis – O-group 1 strains most frequent>90%) SECTION II – HEALTH HAZARD
PATHOGENICITY: Acute enteric disease manifested by acute watery diarrhea, enterocolitis, acute mesenteric lymphadenitis mimicking appendicitis, fever, headache, pharyngitis, anorexia, vomiting, erythema nodosum, arthritis, iritis, cutaneous ulceration, hepatosplenic abscesses, osteomyelitis and septicemia; Y. enterocolitica – gastroenterocolitis syndrome; Y. pseudotuberculosis – abdominal pain, higher case fatality rate in immunocompromised individuals
EPIDEMIOLOGY: Worldwide; 2/3 of Y. enterocolitica cases occur among infants and small children; 3/4 of Y. pseudotuberculosis cases involve 5 to 20 year olds; highest rate during cold season in temperate climates; epidemics associated with hospitals and schools as well as contaminated vehicles (milk)
HOST RANGE: Y. pseudotuberculosis is primarily a zoonotic disease of wild and domesticated birds and mammals, with humans as incidental hosts; Y. enterocolitica has been recovered from a wide variety of animals without signs of disease (fatal outbreak in chinchillas); household pets – sick puppies and kittens; pigs
INFECTIOUS DOSE: 106 organisms
MODE OF TRANSMISSION: Fecal-oral transmission by contact with infected persons or animals, or by eating and drinking fecally contaminated food and water; nosocomial transmission has been reported; transmission by infected blood products has been reported
INCUBATION PERIOD: Probably 3 to 7 days, generally under 10 days
COMMUNICABILITY: Fecal shedding at least as long as symptoms exist; untreated cases may excrete organism for 2 to 3 months; chronic carrier state exists
SECTION III – DISSEMINATION
RESERVOIR: Principal reservoirs are domestic animals; Y. enterocolitica has been recovered from healthy animals and from primates with acute enteric disease; pigs may be an important reservoir through pork products, especially head meats; Y. pseudotuberculosis is widespread among many species of avian and mammalian hosts
ZOONOSIS: Yes, by contact with infected animals
VECTORS: None
SECTION IV – VIABILITY
DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Sensitive to many antibiotics; may be resistant to penicillin and its semisynthetic derivatives
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Susceptible to many disinfectants – 1% sodium hypochlorite, 70% ethanol, 2% glutaraldehyde, iodines, phenolics, formaldehyde
PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Sensitive to moist heat (121° C for at least 15 min) and dry heat (160-170° C for at least 1 hour)
SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Water – 20 days; beets – 1 to 2 days; linen – 18 hours; seawater – up to 105 days (winter); soil – 540 days
SECTION V – MEDICAL
SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for symptoms; confirmation by serologic agglutination tests; circulating antibodies; stool samples; ELISA
FIRST AID/TREATMENT: Antibiotic therapy may be helpful for gastrointestinal symptoms; definitely indicated for septicemia or other invasive disease
IMMUNIZATION: None
PROPHYLAXIS: None
SECTION VI – LABORATORY HAZARDS
LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: No reported infections to date
SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Blood, feces, urine,
PRIMARY HAZARDS: Ingestion, accidental parenteral inoculation
SPECIAL HAZARDS: Contact with infected animals
SECTION VII – RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS
CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices, containment equipment and facilities for activities with cultures or potentially infectious clinical materials; animal biosafety level 2 practices and facilities for activities involving infected animals
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: Laboratory coat; gloves when direct contact with infectious materials is unavoidable
OTHER PRECAUTIONS: Good personal hygiene and frequent hand washing
SECTION VIII – HANDLING INFORMATION
SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wearing protective clothing, gently cover spill with paper towels and apply 1% sodium hypochlorite, starting at perimeter and working towards the centre; allow sufficient contact time (30 min) before clean up
DISPOSAL: Decontaminate before disposal; steam sterilization, chemical disinfection, incineration (animal wastes)
STORAGE: In sealed containers that are appropriately labeled
SECTION IX – MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Date prepared: January, 2001
Prepared by: Office of Laboratory Security, PHAC
Although the information, opinions and recommendations contained in this Material Safety Data Sheet are compiled from sources believed to be reliable, we accept no responsibility for the accuracy, sufficiency, or reliability or for any loss or injury resulting from the use of the information. Newly discovered hazards are frequent and this information may not be completely up to date.
Copyright © Health Canada, 2001
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