AEROMONAS PUNCTATA SUBSP CAVIAE AS CAUSATIVE AGENT OF ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS

  • 1 January 1975
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 233  (2) , 232-235
Abstract
Since A. hydrophila in the past had been isolated from all cases of human infection described, A. punctata and the anaerogenic subspecies were considered apathogenic. From the case described, a close association between acute diarrhea with vomiting and the identification of A. punctata subsp. caviae became evident so that a conditional pathogenicity of this subspecies must be assumed. Whether a preceding disturbance of the intestinal environment in the presence of a particular susceptibility of the gastrointestinal tract promoted gastroenteritis was discussed. Infection may have been brought about by the ingestion of surface water contaminated with sewage. In the case of enteritis occurring during the open-air bathing season, feces samples should also be examined for their Aeromonas content with a simple indophenol or cytochrome oxidase reaction of the aerobic flora in feces by rubbing colonies off onto a test strip.