Experimental infection with Yersinia enterocolitica serovar 0:8 in beagle dogs.

Dogs were challenged orally with Yersinia enterocolitica serovar 0:8 biovar 1 for assessment of the infectivity of 0:8 bacteria. The bacteria were shed in the feces for 7-21 days following oral challenge. They were also recovered from intestinal contents and small intestinal Peyer's patches, but not from deeper organs of dogs euthanized 3 and 7 days after oral challenge. Dogs challenged subsequently with 10(10) bacteria showed protection from establishment of the bacteria in the intestinal tract. High titers of serum O-agglutinins developed in the dogs challenged with the bacteria. No clinical or hematological abnormalities were observed. The possibility that dogs may be a source of infection of 0:8 bacteria to human is discussed.