Antimicrobial resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica and presence of plasmid pYV virulence genes in human and animal isolates.

ABSTRACT

Interactions between bacterial virulence and antimicrobial resistance are of increasing interest in clinical microbiology. On this account, antimicrobial resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica O3 strains isolated from humans (n = 55), food-chain animals (n = 58) and companion animals (n = 13) was determined in relation to the absence or presence of the pYV plasmid-encoded virulence genes yadA and virF. There were no statistically significant associations between the rate of antimicrobial resistance and the presence or absence of the plasmid, in either human-derived or animal-derived strains. Therefore, it can be concluded that response to conventionally used antimicrobials in Y. enterocolitica O3 strains is not dependent on pYV-encoded virulence determinants.