A study of Plesiomonas shigelloides from human, pets and aquatic environments

The present study was performed for determination of distribution of P. Shigelloides in human, pet animals, fish and shellfish and water in Alexandria. P. Shigelloides was recovered from 3.2% of diarrheal patients and 2.67% food handlers indicating the importance of plesiomonas as one of the enteric pathogen and reflecting the public health hazard in Egypt. This organism was found to be more pathogenic in infants as 75% of the diarrheal patients were infants under 2 years of age. The isolation rate was higher in summer which is considered the season of increased diarrheal illness. From dogs and cats samples, plesiomonas was recovered from 8% of dogs samples. Out of 120 fish and shellfish samples 18.57% of fish and 8.6% of shellfish samples yielded plesiomonas. Plesiomonas was also recovered from 32 out of 100 water samples, 24 (42.86%) from fresh water. This study shows that P. Shigelloides seem to be one of the current causes of diarrheal illness in Egypt.