Bilan d'une Enquête épidémiologique sur les Yersinioses dans un Ecosystème agrosylvatique en Région parisienne. I - Recherche des Yersinia dans le sol, les oligochetes et la vegetation

During a two years period we isolated 17 Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains and 151 typical and atypical Yersinia enterocolitica strains from soil samples, earthworms specimen and crops samples, 70 % of the soil samples were positive for Yersinia. Seasons fluctuation showed that the Yersinia strains remained the whole year deep in the soil while at the ground level they disappeared during the summer. The chemiotypes and serogroups of the strains isolated from the soil were different from those found in animal and human pathology. The concept of the soil as a reservoir for Yersinia is discussed.