The genus Yersinia comprises an important group of bacterial
pathogens, with Yersinia enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis,
and Y. pestis representing the species of interest. Y.
enterocolitica is the most common agent of this genus that are
associated with a spectrum of clinical syndromes in man,
with gastroenteritis as the most frequently encountered
manifestation. Most cases are sporadic or occur in small
clusters, but large outbreaks have been reported worldwide in
families, schools, hospitals, and in association with community
gatherings although
Y. enterocolitica has been isolated from a number of environmental,
food, and water sources, there have been relatively
few documented outbreaks of human illness where food was
proved by culture to be the source of infection. According to the three well-documented outbreaks in
which contaminated chocolate milk, raw milk, and tofu were
the vehicles of transmission.