In Vitro Characterization of the Ability of Yersinia Enterocolitica Bt4 to Colonize Pigs and Stainless Steel Surfaces

Yersiniosis is, after campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis, the third most frequently reported zoonosis in Europe. Humans become infected with Y. enterocolitica through the consumption of undercooked pork and raw food having been in contact with contaminated surfaces. Pigs, the main reservoir for human pathogenic strains, do not develop clinical signs. In France and worldwide, biotype 4 (BT4) is the biotype the most frequently isolated from both pigs and clinical yersiniosis. In this study, a collection of 26 pathogenic BT4 strains isolated from pig tonsils was used to investigate their ability to adhere and invade intestinal pig cells (IPEC-J2) and to adhere to abiotic surfaces (stainless steel coupons) using two in vitro tests. Regression analysis was performed between data sets obtained from IPECJ2 cells assays versus stainless steel assays. All BT4 strains were able to adhere and invade IPEC-J2 cells. However, the results showed heterogeneity between strains with respect to their ability to adhere to IPECJ2 cells, with a percentage of adhesion varying from 9% to more than 90%. The BT4 population displayed a more homogeneous ability to invade IPECJ2 cells with percentages varying from 10% to 26%. The BT4 strains displayed a great ability to adhere to the stainless steel surface, percentage of adhesion varying from 0.3% to 4.2%. No correlation was observed between IPEC-J2 cell adhesion, cell invasion and adhesion to the stainless steel surface (R2 < 0.02). In conclusion, these results reflect the ability of the different BT4 strains to colonize the intestinal tract of pigs and to contaminate the stainless steel surfaces of the food processing environment.