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Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 264/1))

Abstract

The genus Yersinia is composed of 11 species, three of which are pathogenic for human beings: Y. enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Y. pestis. The former two are widely spread in temperate countries; they are transmitted by the fecal-oral route and cause digestive symptoms, usually of moderate intensity. In contrast, Y. pestis predominates in tropical and subtropical areas; it is transmitted mainly by flea bites and causes an extremely severe disease called plague.

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Carniel, E. (2002). Plasmids and Pathogenicity Islands of Yersinia . In: Hacker, J., Kaper, J.B. (eds) Pathogenicity Islands and the Evolution of Pathogenic Microbes. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 264/1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-09217-0_6

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