Sciensano helps diagnose cases of yersiniosis, identifies sources of contamination, controls products, monitors the evolution of yersiniosis in Belgium and studies the susceptibility of Yersinia bacteria to antibiotics.

Yersiniosis is an infection of the gastrointestinal system caused by the bacterium Yersinia. This bacterium occurs in animals and can infect humans through food.
Yersiniosis is an infection of the gastrointestinal system caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia. Within this genus, there are three known species, namely Yersinia pestis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica. The most commonly occurring cause of yersiniosis in Belgium is Y. enterocolitica.
Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis are bacteria that are widespread in the environment and for which food is considered the main source of infection. Strains potentially pathogenic for humans can be found in pigs for Y. enterocolitica as well as in several animal species for Y. pseudotuberculosis.
Y. pestis is the causative agent of plague is and is transmitted by fleas from, among others, rats to humans. This disease is not discussed in this health topic.
Symptoms of yersiniosis appear 3 to 7 days after infection:
After several weeks, other symptoms may also appear (most of which are rather rare), such as:
The main causes of yersiniosis are eating raw or inadequately cooked food and poor hygiene. The latter applies, on the one hand, to insufficient hygienic measures in the kitchen during food preparation, such as, for example, using the same chopping board and knives for meat and raw vegetables. On the other hand, the bacterium can also be transmitted through inter-human infection via the fecal-oral route (example: an infected person prepares food without first washing the hands after going to the toilet).
Yersinia can also be transmitted through contaminated water or milk.
Yersinia is a bacterium that is transmitted primarily by the oral route through food.
To prevent transmission, hygiene regulations must be strictly followed, especially when preparing, cooking and storing food.
The doctor takes a sample of the patient’s stool and sends it to a laboratory for culture (coproculture).
When symptoms such as joint problems appear after several weeks and the symptoms of diarrhoea have passed, the diagnosis is made via a blood test instead of a stool culture. If positive, the laboratory sends the human bacterial strain to the National Reference Centre for Yersinia at Sciensano’s Bacterial Diseases Unit.
Anyone can get yersiniosis, but in some frail or weak people, the disease can worsen due to dehydration, intestinal disorders and, in severe cases, blood poisoning (sepsis). These are:
Yersiniosis is usually a benign disease requiring no special treatment. However, proper care must be taken to take in sufficient fluids by drinking plenty of water. With a more severe course or persistent symptoms, the disease is treated with antibiotics. Additional treatment may also be chosen for joint problems.