Yersinia infection

Statutory notification

• Yersinia infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Case definition: See surveillance case definitions for notifiable infectious diseases in Western Australia (PDF 495KB).
• Notification: Notify using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB). For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Yersinia enterocolitica or Y. pseudotuberculosis.
• Transmission: food-borne, animal-borne and water-borne.
• Incubation period: 1 to 10 days (usually 2 to 5 days).
• Infectious period: Most infectious while symptomatic and low risk post recovery. Person to person transmission is uncommon. Use contact transmission- based precautions for hospitalised and institutionalised patients.
• Case exclusion: Excluded until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 24 hours. If patient works in health care, aged care or child care or is a food handler or attends child-care exclude until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 48 hours. See Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB).
• Contact exclusion: See Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB).
• Treatment: Oral rehydration and as recommended by the doctor.
• Immunisation: None available.
• Case follow-up: Generally only clusters or outbreaks are investigated by the Communicable Disease Control Directorate (OzFoodNet), with assistance from local public health units as required. 

Guidelines for public health units

• Guidelines for the public health management of notifiable enteric diseases (PDF 387KB)
• Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB) 
• Communicable Disease Guidelines for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports