The prevalence of Yersinia enterocolitica isolates in comparison to those of the commonly encountered enteropathogens causing diarrhoea among Ethiopian patients in Addis Ababa.

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was designed to determine and describe the prevalence of diarrhoea caused by Yersinia enterocolitica isolates in comparison with the commonly encountered diarrhoeagenic Salmonella and Shigella among all age group out-patients of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Standardized bacteriological isolation and biochemical test techniques were used. Among the stool samples of 205 patients tested for bacteriological cultures, only 3 (1.5%) were positive for Yersinia enterocolitica, 22 (10.7%) for Salmonella and 12 (5.8%) for Shigella. In this study, Yersinia enterocolitica did not seem to be the main aetiological enteric pathogenic agent when compared with the well-studied diarrhoeacogenic bacteria agents like Salmonella and Shigella strains.