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, 13:40, 12 May 2010
**Less virulent than ''Y. pestis'' but closely related
**Mainly infect animals
**One plasmid, required for virulence
**Sporadic cases of pseudotuberculosis in animals and man
**Wild birds and rodents provide a reservoir of infection by harbouring the the pathogen in their intestinal tract
**Sources include food and water contaminated by faeces
**Pseudotuberculosis (caseous abscesses) in rodents, guinea pigs, cats, turkeys
**Epidymo-orchitis in rams
**Abortion in goats
**Occasional infections in pigs, cattle, sheep
**Multiplication in macrophages leads to granuloma formation
**Granulomas occur in the gut wall and mesenteric lymph nodes
**Occasional spread from the mesenteric lymph nodes to the liver and [[Spleen - Anatomy & Physiology|spleen]][[Category:Yersinia_species]]