Name: Yersinia intermedia Brenner et al. 1981

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: in.ter.me’di.a. L. fem. adj. intermedia, intermediate, here it implies that biochemical reactions of this species seem midway between Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

Pronunciation, gender: in-ter-ME-di-a, feminine

Type strain: 3953; ATCC 29909; Bottone 48; CCUG 11292; Chester 48; CIP 80.28; DSM 18517; JCM 7579; NCTC 11469

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AF366380 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Brenner DJ, Bercovier H, Ursing J, Alonso JM, Steigerwalt AG, Fanning GR, Carter GP, Mollaret HH. Yersinia intermedia: a new species of Enterobacteriaceae composed of rhamnose-positive, melibiose-positive, raffinose-positive strains (formerly called Yersinia enterocolitica or Yersinia enterocolitica-like). Curr. Microbiol. 1980; 4:207-212.

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Validation list no. 6. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1981; 31:215-218.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name (and explicitly recommended for medical use)

Risk group: 2

• Notes:
  • 🧬 The phylogenomic assignment score of this taxon is 0.07539 (N = 4).
  • 😷 The risk group for Belgium has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "human pathogen". — The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 2". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 2. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "Z". — The risk group for Taiwan has been imported on 2024-11-03. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "P650 = v". — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 92 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🪓 Organisms assigned to this species have previously been classified as Yersinia enterocolitica (Schleifstein and Coleman 1939) Frederiksen 1964 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Frederiksen W. A study of some Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-like bacteria (Bacterium enterocoliticum and Pasteurella X). Proceedings of the XIV Scandinavian Congress of Pathology and Microbiology, Oslo 1964. Norwegian Universities Press, Oslo, 1964. Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.
  • 🫡 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the species itself. This name is not taxonomically suspended any more in favour of Yersinia enterocolitica (Schleifstein and Coleman 1939) Frederiksen 1964 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Frederiksen W. A study of some Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-like bacteria (Bacterium enterocoliticum and Pasteurella X). Proceedings of the XIV Scandinavian Congress of Pathology and Microbiology, Oslo 1964. Norwegian Universities Press, Oslo, 1964. Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.
  • 🧍 According to Bartlett et al. (2022), this species is an established human pathogen. Publication: Bartlett A, Padfield D, Lear L, Bendall R, Vos M. A comprehensive list of bacterial pathogens infecting humans. Microbiology (Reading) 2022; 168:0.

Parent taxon: Yersinia van Loghem 1944 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Brenner DJ, Bercovier H, Ursing J, Alonso JM, Steigerwalt AG, Fanning GR, Carter GP, Mollaret HH. Yersinia intermedia: a new species of Enterobacteriaceae composed of rhamnose-positive, melibiose-positive, raffinose-positive strains (formerly called Yersinia enterocolitica or Yersinia enterocolitica-like). Curr. Microbiol. 1980; 4:207-212.

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Record number: 785223