Related Experiment Videos
Aeromonas spp as a potential cause of diarrhoea in children
1Department of Experimental and Clinical Microbiology, University of Sheffield Medical School.
Insights
Aeromonas species (spp.) can cause gastroenteritis in children, particularly during warmer months. Bile salt, Irgasan, and brilliant green agar are effective for isolating these bacteria from faecal samples.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Aeromonas species (spp.) are increasingly recognized as potential enteropathogens.
- Gastroenteritis in children remains a significant public health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of Aeromonas spp. in children's faeces.
- To investigate the association between Aeromonas spp. isolation and gastroenteritis symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Faecal specimens (n=1026) were cultured using selective media and enrichment broth at 30°C and 37°C.
- Isolation rates were correlated with symptoms, antibiotic use, and environmental temperature.
Main Results:
- Aeromonas spp. were recovered from 2.5% of patients (n=26).
- Bile salt, Irgasan, and brilliant green agar demonstrated the highest efficiency for isolation.
- A significant correlation was observed between Aeromonas spp. isolation and environmental temperature, with higher rates during warmer months.
Conclusions:
- Aeromonas spp., especially Aeromonas caviae, may cause gastroenteritis in children, often during summer and autumn.
- Selective culture media are more effective than enrichment for isolating clinically relevant Aeromonas.
- Targeted culturing during warmer months could be considered for diagnosing Aeromonas-associated gastroenteritis.
Aims:
To determine the prevalence of Aeromonas spp in the faeces of children and the association with symptoms of gastroenteritis.
Methods:
Faecal specimens (n = 1026) were cultured for Aeromonas spp using three selective media and an enrichment broth at both 30 degrees C and 37 degrees C. The isolation of Aeromonas spp was correlated with symptoms of gastroenteritis, previous antibiotic use, and environmental temperature.
Results:
Aeromonas spp (n = 28) from 26 (2.5%) patients were recovered. Bile salt, Irgasan, and brilliant green agar was the most efficient selective culture medium. Eleven of the patients had symptoms of gastroenteritis, usually mild diarrhoea of two to three days' duration, in the absence of other recognised enteropathogens. A caviae was a particularly frequent isolate (nine out of 11 cases) in symptomatic individuals. Only one out of seven Aeromonas spp recovered by enrichment culture alone was possibly associated with symptoms of gastroenteritis. There was a close correlation between the environmental temperature and isolation of Aeromonas spp.
Conclusions:
Aeromonas spp and particularly A caviae may cause gastroenteritis in children, most often during warmer months of the year. Culture for these potential enteropathogens could be confined to summer and autumn months. Bile salt, Irgasan, and brilliant green selective agar, but not alkaline peptone water enrichment, is an efficient culture medium for recovering possibly clinically important isolates.