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Test Code YERSC Yersinia Culture, Feces


Ordering Guidance


This test is not intended to diagnose plague, which is caused by Yersinia pestis. Contact the laboratory for cases of suspected plague.



Additional Testing Requirements


If susceptibility testing is needed, also order ZMMLS / Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Aerobic Bacteria, Varies. If susceptibility testing is not needed (eg, due to lack of recovery of Yersinia species from feces), it will not be performed and the ZMMLS order will be canceled at time of report.

 

In some cases, local public health requirements may impact Mayo Clinic Laboratories clients, requiring, for example, submission of isolates to public health laboratories. Clients should familiarize themselves with local requirements and are responsible for submitting isolates to appropriate public health laboratories. Clients can obtain isolates of Yersinia species recovered from specimens submitted to Mayo Clinic Laboratories by calling 800-533-1710 as soon as possible after reporting (to ensure viability of the bacterium).



Shipping Instructions


Specimen must arrive within 96 hours of collection.



Necessary Information


Specimen source is required.



Specimen Required


Patient Preparation: Patient should not use barium or bismuth for 7 to 10 days before specimen collection.

Supplies: Culture and Sensitivity Stool Transport Vial (T058)

Container/Tube: Commercially available transport system specific for recovery of enteric pathogens from fecal specimens (15 mL of non-nutritive transport medium containing phenol red as a pH indicator, either Cary-Blair or Para-Pak C and S)

Specimen Volume: Representative portion of fecal specimen

Collection Instructions:

1. Collect fresh feces and submit 1 gram or 5 mL in container with transport medium.

2. Place feces in preservative within 2 hours of collection.

3. Place vial in a sealed plastic bag.


Secondary ID

606222

Useful For

Determining whether Yersinia species may be the cause of diarrhea

 

Reflexive testing for Yersinia species from nucleic acid amplification test-positive feces

 

This test is generally not useful for patients hospitalized more than 3 days because the yield from specimens from these patients is very low, as is the likelihood of identifying a pathogen that has not been detected previously.

Highlights

This test provides evidence of the presence of the bacterium, Yersinia species, in feces, in a viable state, and provides an isolate for antibacterial susceptibility testing and, if needed, submission to a health department.

 

Minnesota healthcare professional are required to report all confirmed or suspected cases of enteric yersiniosis to the Minnesota Department of Health. Mayo Clinic Laboratories clients should refer to their local health departments regarding public health submission of Yersinia isolates.

Reflex Tests

Test ID Reporting Name Available Separately Always Performed
GID Bacteria Identification No, (Bill Only) No
ISAE Aerobe Ident by Sequencing No, (Bill Only) No
REFID Additional Identification Procedure No, (Bill Only) No
RMALD Ident by MALDI-TOF mass spec No, (Bill Only) No

Testing Algorithm

When this test is ordered, the reflex tests may be performed at an additional charge.

 

For more information see Laboratory Testing for Infectious Causes of Diarrhea

Method Name

Conventional Culture

Reporting Name

Yersinia Culture, F

Specimen Type

Fecal

Specimen Minimum Volume

1 mL

Specimen Stability Information

Specimen Type Temperature Time Special Container
Fecal Ambient (preferred) 4 days
  Refrigerated  4 days

Reject Due To

Unpreserved feces
ECOFIX preservative
Formalin, or PVA fixative		 Reject

Clinical Information

Diarrhea may be caused by a number of agents, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemicals; these agents may result in similar symptoms. A thorough patient history covering symptoms, severity and duration of illness, age, travel history, food consumption, history of recent antibiotic use, and illnesses in the family or other contacts will help the healthcare professional determine the appropriate testing to be performed.

 

Several species of Yersinia that are detected by this test may cause diarrhea. Yersinia enterocolitica is the species most frequently isolated with this test.

Reference Values

No growth of Yersinia species.

Interpretation

The growth of Yersinia species identifies a potential cause of diarrhea.

Cautions

The yield of Yersinia species is reduced when specimens are delayed in transit to the laboratory (>2 hours from collection for unpreserved specimens).

 

Check local public health requirements, which may require submission of isolates to a public health laboratory. Not all species of Yersinia are detected by this test.

Clinical Reference

1. Pillai DR. Fecal culture for aerobic pathogens of gastroenteritis. In: Leber AL, Church DL, eds. Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook. 4th ed. ASM Press; 2016:Section 3.8.1

2.  Pillai DR, Griener T. Culture for Campylobacter and related organisms. In: Leber AL, Church DL, eds. Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook. 4th ed. ASM Press; 2016:Section 3.8.2

3. DuPont HL. Persistent diarrhea: A clinical review. JAMA. 2016;315(24):2712-2723. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.7833

4. Tacket CO, Narain JP, Sattin R, et al. A multistate outbreak of infections caused by Yersinia enterocolitica transmitted by pasteurized milk. JAMA. 1984;251(4):483-486

5. El Qouqa IA, El Jarou MA, Samaha AS, et al. Yersinia enterocolitica infection among children aged less than 12 years: a case-control study. Int J Infect Dis. 2011;15(1):e48-53

6. Loftus CG, Harewood GC, Cockerill FR 3rd, Murray JA. Clinical features of patients with novel Yersinia species. Dig Dis Sci. 2002;47(12):2805-2810

Method Description

The fecal specimen is inoculated onto cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar and phosphate buffered saline for cold enrichment. After incubation, suspect Yersinia colonies are identified using one or a combination of the following techniques: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry, conventional biochemical tests, carbon source utilization, serologic methods, or nucleic acid sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Yersinia species that may be reported include but are not limited to: Yersinia enterocolitica; Yersinia frederiksenii; Yersinia intermedia; Yersinia kristensenii; Yersinia pestis; Yersinia pseudotuberculosis; and Yersinia similis.(Kingry LC, Tarr CL, Petersen JM. Yersinia. In: Carroll KC, Pfaller MA, eds. Manual of Clinical Microbiology. 12th ed. ASM Press; 2019:751-764)

Day(s) Performed

Monday through Friday

Report Available

24 to 27 days

Specimen Retention Time

7 days

Performing Laboratory

Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester

Test Classification

This test has been cleared, approved, or is exempt by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions. Performance characteristics were verified by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.

CPT Code Information

87046-Yersinia Culture, Stool-with isolation and preliminary examination

87077-Bacteria Identification (if appropriate)

87153-Aerobe Ident by Sequencing (if appropriate)

87077-Additional Identification Procedure (if appropriate)

87077-Ident by MALDI-TOF mass spec (if appropriate)

LOINC Code Information

Test ID Test Order Name Order LOINC Value
YERSC Yersinia Culture, F 28549-4

 

Result ID Test Result Name Result LOINC Value
YERSC Yersinia Culture, F 28549-4