Most cases of Yersinia enterocolitica manifest with symptoms of enterocolitis, such as diarrhoea, fever and abdominal pain. Y. enterocolitica is a very rare cause of pneumonia, and usually occurs in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by Y. enterocolitica in an elderly patient who did not develop symptoms of enterocolitis. This aetiology should be considered in patients with CAP who do not respond to initial empirical therapy.