Molecular characterization of human clinical isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica bioserotype 1B/O8 in Poland: emergence and dissemination of three highly related clones.

Thirty-three clinical isolates of the highly pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica bioserotype 1B/O8 were collected from sporadic cases in Poland from January 2004 to July 2008. The isolates carried major virulence markers and were strongly clonal. This is the first report of the emergence and dissemination of highly related clones of Y. enterocolitica 1B/O8 in Europe.