YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA SEPTICEMIA WITH ARTHRITIS IN A THALASSÆMIC CHILD

Abstract

During the past four years there has been a marked increase in the number of reports of human Yersinia enterocolitica infections. Most of the cases have been reported from Europe, particularly Sweden, France and Belgium, and more recently from Britain (Chessum et alii, 1971). This is thought to be the first report of Y. enterocolitica infection in Australia. The bacterium was cultured from the blood of a nine‐year‐old boy with thalassæmia major, who suddenly developed persistent fever, polyarthritis and pneumonitis.