Yersinia enterocolitica and the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Objectives: To investigate the potential role of Yersinia enterocolitica in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Methods: An immunoblot technique was used to detect antibodies to various Yersinia outer membrane proteins (YOPs) in serum samples from 88 patients with CFS and 77 healthy neighbourhood controls, matched for gender and age.

Results: The prevalence of IgG and IgA antibodies to various Yersinia outer membrane proteins (YOPs) did not differ between patients with CFS and healthy controls.

Clinical presentation and diagnosis of gastrointestinal infections by Yersinia enterocolitica in 261 Dutch patients.

A surveillance of the clinical manifestations, course and outcome of 261 patients with gastrointestinal infection by Yersinia enterocolitica between 1982 and 1991 was carried out. Acute uncomplicated enteritis was diagnosed in 169 patients, complicated enteritis in 37, appendicular syndrome in 33, ileitis in 8 and colitis in 14. Children (age < 16 years, n = 105) presented most often with mild enteritis, young adults (age 16-25 years, n = 47) with enteritis or appendicular syndrome, adults (age > 25 years, n = 109) had significant risk for developing serious enteritis, ileitis and colitis.

In-vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Yersinia enterocolitica isolates from stools of patients in The Netherlands from 1982-1991.

The MICs of 24 antimicrobial agents were determined for 335 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from faeces in the Netherlands during 1982-1991. The isolates belonged to biotypes 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4 and to serotypes O3, O5.27, O6.

Yersinia enterocolitica infection in children.

The clinical presentation, course and outcome of Yersinia enterocolitica infection was studied prospectively in 125 children. Enteric forms occurred in 114 children (92 enteritis, 20 pseudoappendicitis, 2 chronic ileitis), of whom 17 also had extramesenteric manifestations; 11 children had one or more extramesenteric forms without enteric disease. Enteritis occurred more frequently in young children whereas serious forms and extramesenteric forms were more common in children older than 6 years of age (P < 0.