Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica serovar O8 from free-living small rodents in Japan.

Yersinia species were isolated from 65 of 223 free-living small mammals trapped in 10 regions on Honshu Island in Japan. Of the 65 strains isolated, 1 was Yersinia enterocolitica serovar O3, 8 were Y. enterocolitica O5, 6 were Y. enterocolitica O8, 3 were Y. enterocolitica O9, and 1 was Yersinia pseudotuberculosis 4b. Of the six Y. enterocolitica O8 strains, five were positive for autoagglutination, Ca2+ dependence, and the 45-MDa virulence plasmid and showed high pathogenicity for mice.