EN
Between 2005 and 2007, the incidence of Y. enterocolitica in pigs and particularly of its human pathogenic serotypes O:3 and O:9, was monitored. In 1 706 samples collected from the tongue, skin surface, skin surface near the rectum, rectal content, and tonsils, 76 pathogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica were identified. Y. enterocolitica was found most frequently on the tonsils (7.5%) and in rectal content (7.4%), and less frequently on the tongue (5.1%), skin surface (2.8%), and skin surface near the rectum (1.0%). Eighty-eight per cent of the strains belonged to the serotype O:3, one strain isolated from skin surface was identified as serotype O:5, and 8 strains were not specified. Using the reference agar dilution method, susceptibility to six antimicrobial agents (tetracycline, nalidixic acid, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin) was tested. The strains showed high MIC levels to erythromycin and tetracycline. On the other hand, they were susceptible to the nalidixic acid, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin. The highest susceptibility was found to ciprofloxacin.