Aeromonas

Abstract

Members of the genus Aeromonas are gram-negative bacteria that occur in an aquatic environment and may cause several types of infection in humans and animals.1 In humans, Aeromonas causes septicemia, usually associated with immunosuppression resulting from hepatitis, cirrhosis, biliary disease, pancreatic disease, or malignancies; wound infections and cellulite in individuals exposed to water or soil; extraintestinal infections such as peritonitis, meningitis, endocarditis, otitis of the middle ear, and so forth.2 Several reports have implicated Aeromonas species as the aetiological agents of acute diarrhea, but the evidence of enteropathogenicity is controversial because the experimentation undertaken to solve the issue has proven insufficient, and conclusive human volunteer trials and animal models are required.3 Aeromonas is not considered to be a normal inhabitant of the human gastrointestinal tract, but it is present in the feces of healthy animals and humans, probably due to the ingestion of water and foods contaminated with these microorganisms.4 Aeromonas may form a biofilm after the colonization of drinking water distribution systems, where it is resistant to common disinfectants. However, no outbreaks attributable to Aeromonas through contact with drinking water have been described.