Occurrence of different serotypes of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in retail pork and fish.

Retail pork (38 samples), cod (10 samples) and herring (10 samples) were obtained from 12 stores in the area of Lund in southern Sweden during September and October 1990. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated from 50% of the pork samples, 60% of the cod samples and from 30% of the samples from herring. Serotype 2 dominated on retail pork as well as on fish samples constituting 53% of the pork isolates (10 strains) and 33% of the cod isolates (2 strains). All E. rhusiopathiae isolates originating from herring were serotype 2 (3 strains). Serotypes 1b, 6, and 8 were isolated from retail pork only (6, 2 and 1 strains, respectively). Serotype 5 was isolated from cod only (3 strains) and so was serotype 9 (1 strain). The public health hazards with the occurrence of virulent strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in retail pork and fish are discussed.