This document reports on a recent survey for pYV-positive Y. enterocolitica (YeP+) on retail raw pork using a new rapid and sensitive method developed at ESR to both detect (presence/absence) and enumerate (by most probable number method) this pathogen.

In the five year period (2002 to 2006) reviewed, the annual notification rate for yersiniosis in New Zealand increased over the four years 2003 to 2006 but remained lower than it was in 2002. A number of District Health Boards (DHBs) (West Coast, South Canterbury, Capital and Coast) had consistently higher notification rates than the overall New Zealand notification rate. Children aged less than 5 years experienced the highest rates of yersiniosis and there was a small increase in the notification rate for the 60 years and over age group.

In New Zealand, cases of human illness and laboratory detection of either organism are notified to ESR and Y. enterocolitica is more commonly reported than Y. pseudotuberculosis. A seasonal pattern is apparent from the data, with more cases reported in the months of October, November and January (Pirie, 2008). A large proportion of cases are believed to be attributable to food. This datasheet focuses on Y. enterocolitica.

The purpose of a Risk Profile is to provide contextual and background information relevant to a food/hazard combination so that risk managers can make decisions and, if necessary, take further action. Risk Profiles include elements of a qualitative risk assessment, as well as providing information relevant to risk management. Risk profiling may result in a range of activities e.g. immediate risk management action, a decision to conduct a quantitative risk assessment, or a programme to gather more data, ranking of a particular food safety issue.