Forgotten but not gone: Yersinia infections in England, 1975 to 2020

BackgroundYersiniosis is one of the most common food-borne zoonoses in Europe, but there are large variations in the reported incidence between different countries.AimWe aimed to describe the trends and epidemiology of laboratory-confirmed infections in England and estimate the average annual number...

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Published in:Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles Vol. 28; no. 14; p. 1
Main Authors: Šumilo, Dana, Love, Nicola K, Manuel, Rohini, Dabke, Girija, Paranthaman, Karthik, Jenkins, Claire, McCarthy, Noel D
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Sweden Centre Europeen pour la Surveillance Epidemiologique du SIDA (European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS) 06.04.2023
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
Subjects:
Animals
England - epidemiology
Epidemiology
Europe
Health surveillance
Humans
Infections
Surveillance
Yersinia enterocolitica
Yersinia Infections - diagnosis
Yersinia Infections - epidemiology
Zoonoses
England
Europe
United Kingdom > UK
England
Yersinia Enterocolitica
Surveillance
Epidemiology
Incidence
ISSN:1560-7917, 1025-496X, 1560-7917
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:BackgroundYersiniosis is one of the most common food-borne zoonoses in Europe, but there are large variations in the reported incidence between different countries.AimWe aimed to describe the trends and epidemiology of laboratory-confirmed infections in England and estimate the average annual number of undiagnosed cases, accounting for under-ascertainment.MethodsWe analysed national surveillance data on cases reported by laboratories in England between 1975 and 2020 and enhanced surveillance questionnaires from patients diagnosed in a laboratory that has implemented routine testing of diarrhoeic samples since 2016.ResultsThe highest incidence of infections in England (1.4 cases per 100,000 population) was recorded in 1988 and 1989, with being the predominant species. The reported incidence of infections declined during the 1990s and remained low until 2016. Following introduction of commercial PCR at a single laboratory in the South East, the annual incidence increased markedly (13.6 cases per 100,000 population in the catchment area between 2017 and 2020). There were notable changes in age and seasonal distribution of cases over time. The majority of infections were not linked to foreign travel and one in five patients was admitted to hospital. We estimate that around 7,500 infections may be undiagnosed in England annually.ConclusionsFindings suggest a considerable number of undiagnosed yersiniosis cases in England, with possibly important changes in the epidemiology. The apparently low incidence of yersiniosis in England is probably due to limited laboratory testing.
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Correspondence: Dana Šumilo (dana.sumilo@warwick.ac.uk)
ISSN:1560-7917
1025-496X
1560-7917
DOI:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.14.2200516