Yersinia enterocolitica, a small rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacterium, is often isolated from clinical specimens such as wounds, feces, sputum, and mesenteric lymph nodes. The genus Yersinia belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family and is composed of 12 species, three of which are pathogenic for humans: Y. enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. pestis. Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis are widespread among various animal species and in the environment. They are transmitted to humans by the oral route and cause intestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. These species are found all over the world, with a higher incidence in temperate and cold countries. Yersiniosis does not occur frequently. It is rare unless a breakdown occurs in food processing techniques. They are most often responsible for sporadic cases in US and EU. CDC estimates that about 17,000 cases occur annually in the USA. Yersiniosis is a far more common disease in Northern Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan. The infective dose is unknown and illness onset is usually between 24 and 48 hours after ingestion, which (with food or drink as vehicle) is the usual route of infection.

We are interested in articles that explore Yersinia species. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Behavior in foods, incidence, persistence, survival, or growth in soil, water, surface in direct or indirect contact with foods
• Outbreaks and surveillance, Zoonosis
• Virulence and pathogenesis, Molecular insights in pathogenesis
• Detection/identification, Immunochemical, chemical, molecular, and microbiological methods to study Yersinia in foods
• Mechanisms to grow in foods at low temperatures, and so forth
• Yersinia and public health

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