High-mortality outbreak of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection in a guinea pig herd: a case report

Dinko Novosel; Gordan Kompes; Boris Habrun; Andreja Jungić

doi:10.46419/cvj.57.3.2

High-mortality outbreak of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection in a guinea pig herd: a case report

Authors

D. Novosel Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Pathological Morphology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2602-8696
G. Kompes Laboratory for General Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4934-1357
B. Habrun Laboratory for General Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9688-026X
A. Jungić Laboratory for Rabies and General Virology, Department of Virology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9497-9904

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46419/cvj.57.3.2

Keywords:

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, guinea pig, histopathology, immunohistochemistry

Abstract

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis caused a fulminant outbreak in a Croatian breeding colony of 84 guinea pigs, in which 80 animals (95%) died within 72 hours after abrupt food refusal and marked lethargy, without diarrhoea. Seven freshly dead animals were examined. At necropsy, 2–5 mm, white-yellow nodules were found distributed in the liver, spleen, lungs, mesenteric lymph nodes and partly also in the small intestine. Aerobic culture of these organs on Columbia blood agar (28°C, 24–48 h) revealed pure growth of Y. pseudotuberculosis. Histology showed well demarcated necro-pyogranulomatous lesions with central bacterial colonies, margins of neutrophils and a peripheral coat of macrophages and few lymphocytes. Immunohistochemistry confirmed abundant lysozyme-positive macrophages and few CD3-positive T and CD79α-positive B cells, indicating a predominantly innate response. This case report emphasises the extreme lethality and rapid progression of guinea pig yersiniosis and highlights its zoonotic potential.

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Published

2026-05-15

Issue

Vol. 57 No. 3 (2026)

Section

Articles

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