Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
Nasal Wipes for Influenza A Virus Detection and Isolation from Swine
Published on: December 4, 2015
Phylogenetic identification of Aeromonas simiae from a pig, first isolate since species description
Maria Conceição Fontes1, Maria José Saavedra, Arturo Monera
1Department of Veterinary Sciences, CECAV-University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
Abstract:
The species Aeromonas simiae was first described on the basis of two strains (CIP 107798(T) and CIP 107797) isolated from faeces of healthy monkeys (M. fascicularis) from Mauritius, which were kept in quarantine in the Centre for Primatology, Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg, France. In the present study, during a survey to determine the prevalence of Aeromonas at three different pig slaughterhouses at north of Portugal, a single strain MDC2374 (out of 703 isolates) was identified as A. simiae on the basis of 16S rDNA, gyrB and rpoD sequencing, confirming that traditional biochemical approaches are not resolute to identify rarely isolated Aeromonas species. To our knowledge, this is the first time since species description that A. simiae is newly isolated and identified.
Insights
Aeromonas simiae, a rare bacterium, was newly identified in Portugal from pig samples. This finding highlights the limitations of traditional methods for identifying uncommon Aeromonas species.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacteriology
- Genomics
Background:
- Aeromonas simiae was initially described from primate fecal samples.
- The prevalence and isolation of rare Aeromonas species in food production environments remain understudied.
- Traditional biochemical methods may not be sufficient for accurate identification of infrequently encountered bacterial species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of Aeromonas species in pig slaughterhouses in Northern Portugal.
- To identify and confirm the presence of Aeromonas simiae in this new environmental context.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of molecular methods compared to traditional approaches for Aeromonas identification.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and cultivation of bacteria from environmental samples.
- Molecular identification using 16S rDNA, gyrB, and rpoD gene sequencing.
- Comparison of molecular identification with traditional biochemical profiling.
Main Results:
- A single isolate, MDC2374, out of 703 screened, was identified as Aeromonas simiae.
- This represents a new isolation of Aeromonas simiae since its initial description.
- Molecular sequencing confirmed the identification, which might have been missed by biochemical tests.
Conclusions:
- This study reports the first new isolation and identification of Aeromonas simiae in Portugal.
- Molecular techniques are crucial for accurate identification of rare Aeromonas species.
- The findings underscore the importance of advanced identification methods in food safety and microbiology.
