Population-Based Surveillance for Yersinia enterocolitica Infections in FoodNet Sites, 1996–1999: Higher Risk of Disease in Infants and Minority Populations

Active surveillance for laboratory-confirmed Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) infections was conducted at 5 Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) sites in the United States during 1996–1999. The annual incidence averaged 0.9 cases/100,000 population. After adjusting for missing data,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical infectious diseases 2004-04, Vol.38 (Supplement-3), p.S181-S189
Main Authors: Ray, Susan M., Ahuja, Shama D., Blake, Paul A., Farley, Monica M., Samuel, Michael, Fiorentino, Therese, Swanson, Ellen, Cassidy, Maureen, Lay, Jenny C., Van Gilder, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Asians
Child
Disease outbreaks
Epidemiology
Ethnicity
Hispanic Americans
Hispanics
Humans
Infant
Infants
Infections
Population Surveillance
Risk Factors
Seasons
Surveillance
United States - epidemiology
United States - ethnology
Yersinia enterocolitica
Yersinia Infections - epidemiology
Yersinia Infections - ethnology
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Summary:Active surveillance for laboratory-confirmed Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) infections was conducted at 5 Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) sites in the United States during 1996–1999. The annual incidence averaged 0.9 cases/100,000 population. After adjusting for missing data, the average annual incidence by race/ethnicity was 3.2 cases/100,000 population among black persons, 1.5 cases/100,000 population among Asian persons, 0.6 cases/100,000 population among Hispanic persons, and 0.4 cases/100,000 population among white persons. Incidence increased with decreasing age in all race/ethnicity groups. Black infants had the highest incidence (141.9 cases/100,000 population; range, 8.7 cases/100,000 population in Minnesota to 207.0 cases/100,000 population in Georgia). Seasonal variations in incidence, with a marked peak in December, were noted only among black persons. YE infections should be suspected in black children with gastroenteritis, particularly during November–February. Culturing for YE should be part of routine testing of stool specimens by clinical laboratories serving populations at risk, especially during the winter months.
ISSN:1058-4838
1537-6591
DOI:10.1086/381585