Prevalence of yersinia antibodies in blood donors

Agglutinins titers against Y. enterocolitica 0:3, 0:5, 0:9 and Y. pseudotuberculosis I were determined by the microagglutination method in 777 blood donor sera.Titers of <- 1/10 were observed in 93.5% of the subjects for Y. enterocolitica 0:3, in 87.8% for Y. enterocolitica 0:9 and in 95.1% for Y. enterocolitica 0:5 and for Y. pseudotuberculosis I. Low level titers (1/10 – 1/20) were found in 11.4% to 23.1%. Titers of 1/40 were observed in 1.7% for Y. enterocolitica 0:3, in 1.4% for Y. enterocolitica 0:5, in 5.1% for Y. enterocolitica 0:9 and in 1.2% for Y. pseudotuberculosis I. Titers of 1/80 were seen in 0.2% for Y. enterocolitica 0:3, in 0.1% for Y. enterocolitica 0:5 and in 1.3% for Y. enterocolitica 0:9. Only in one donor's serum was a titer of 1/160 against Y. enterocolitica 0:9 found.The upper limit of normal titer at 15% cutoff level against Yersinia antigens, found in blood donor sera by the microagglutination test, was 1/10.