THE ROLE OF PIGS AS PHARYNGEAL CARRIERS OF HUMAN PATHOGENIC YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA STRAINS
From March 2007 to January 2008, a total of 170 pigs at slaughter were tested for Y.enterocolitica contamination in tonsils tissue.The animals came from 125 different farms located 325 in four regions of Northern Italy.Y.enterocolitica was isolated from 19 out of 170 (11.2%) tonsils samples.The prevalent bio-serotype (68.4%) was 4/O:3, followed by