Community Outbreak of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Occurred Among Primary School Children

In March, 1986, an acute disease with symptoms suggestive of bacterial or viral origin occurred among two primary school children in Shishui Town, Chiba Prefecture. A total of 517 pupils and one teacher were affected. Major symptoms and signs of the patients were fever (100%), rash (77.8%), abdominal pain (73.6%), diarrhea (66.7%), nausea (62.5%), headache (55.6%), vomitting (54.2%), strawberry tongue (52.1%). Causative organisms were detected in 37 out of 92 patients. All isolated strains belonged to serotype 4b. Strains isolated from patients possessed about 40 Mdal plasmid and the results of calcium dependence and autoagglutination were both positive. There were no deaths and most of the patients recovered within a month.