Yersiniosis
Reportable by Providers and LaboratoriesAbout this Reportable Disease
Infectious agent: Yersiniosis is an enteric illness caused by Yersinia enterocolitica bacteria, or less commonly, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. It is an infection caused most often by eating raw or undercooked pork contaminated with the Yersinia enterocolitica bacteria.
Description of illness: In young children, symptoms of infection include diarrhea (often bloody), fever, and abdominal pain. Symptoms in adults and older children include fever and abdominal pain, which can be confused with appendicitis.
Interactive Disease Data
Laboratory Reporting for this Disease
Yersinia species (other than Y. pestis)
| TEST NAME | Yersinia species (other than Y. pestis) |
| DISEASE/DISORDER | Diarrheal disease |
| ALTERNATE NAME(S) | Enteric pathogens, stool culture, aerobic bacterial stool culture, Yersinia stool culture, Yersinia |
| METHODOLOGY | Culture |
| SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS |
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| ORDERING INFORMATION | Lab Web Portal |
Specimen Requirements
| Patient Preparation |
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| Specimen Collection |
-C&S Culture Transport Media (i.e. ParaPak) - Semisolid or liquid transport media (i.e. Cary Blair or Amies) -Commercially available transport system specific for recovery of enteric pathogens from fecal specimens
-Pure cultures |
| Specimen Labeling |
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| Specimen Processing |
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| Specimen Storage and Preservation |
-Specimens should be stored at 2-30°C and arrive at the laboratory within 4 days of specimen collection. If possible, refrigerate at 2-8°C.
-Isolates should be stored at ambient conditions and submitted within 2 weeks of isolation |
| Specimen Transport |
-Ship stool specimens in appropriate transport media at 2-30°C with cold packs. If possible, maintain at 2-8°C.
-Ship isolates in ambient conditions.
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| Specimen Acceptability and Rejection |
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| Testing Location |
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Laboratory Reporting
Reporting requirements apply to all laboratories located within Tennessee, as well as laboratories outside of Tennessee that test residents of Tennessee, including laboratories located within healthcare facilities. Healthcare providers and laboratories in the same healthcare facility both have a duty to report. The type of organisms and analytes laboratories must report to TDH for 2026 are indicated, and there are several ways laboratories can report results to TDH.
- Manually report results to TDH by faxing or mailing a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department, or faxing to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
- Automatically submit results to TDH via electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), which automates the process of sharing data with TDH using interoperability standards.
- See the ELR Onboarding Handbook for details on the onboarding process, checklist, frequently asked questions, business rules, message format, and vocabulary.
- To initiate the ELR onboarding process with TDH, register in the Trading Partner Registration (TPR) system TPR provides documentation for Promoting Interoperability (PI) attestation and milestone letters to document onboarding progress. Contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
- Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
- Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.
Information about this Reportable Disease for Healthcare Providers
Clinical Summary
- Yersinia are bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal disease, primarily via Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis.
- Infection typically results from ingestion of contaminated food (especially raw or undercooked pork), unpasteurized milk, untreated water, or contact with animals or infected persons.
- Clinical presentation varies by age: in young children, symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, and often bloody diarrhea; in older children/adults, fever and right-sided abdominal pain (sometimes mimicking appendicitis) are common.
- Diagnosis requires laboratory testing; most cases resolve without antibiotics, though treatment (e.g., fluids, sometimes antimicrobials) may be needed in severe or complicated infections.
Healthcare Provider Reporting
Healthcare reporting requirements apply to all providers located within Tennessee, as well as providers whose patients reside in Tennessee.
Providers must report cases of all diseases and conditions listed through one of these methods:
• Mail or fax a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department or fax to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
• Send automatically via electronic case reporting (eCR). See this TDH webpage for more information on eCR, register at the Trader Partner Registration website, or contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
• Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
• Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.
Information about this Reportable Disease for the Public
What It Is
Yersinia are bacteria that cause yersiniosis, a gastrointestinal illness. Two main types—Y. Enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis infect humans. It’s often linked to eating raw or undercooked pork. Infection is more common in children than in adults.
Types
Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cause diarrhea. They differ slightly in how severe the symptoms are. Y. pestis, another species, causes plague, not yersiniosis.
Signs and Symptoms
Young children often develop fever, stomach pain, and sometimes bloody diarrhea. Older children and adults may feel pain on the right side of the abdomen. Symptoms can mimic appendicitis. A sore throat may also occur, especially in children.
Treatment
Most people recover without antibiotics. Drink fluids to prevent dehydration, especially for children. Avoid anti-diarrheal medicines with bloody diarrhea. Antibiotics may be prescribed only for severe infections.
This Page Last Updated: March 25, 2026 at 8:53 PM