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Aeromonas-associated gastroenteritis
Insights
Enterotoxigenic Aeromonas species cause diarrhea in children, particularly during summer. While often mild, some cases present as prolonged or dysentery-like illness.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Enterotoxigenic Aeromonas species are recognized pathogens.
- Diarrheal diseases are a significant concern in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of enterotoxigenic Aeromonas-associated diarrhea in children.
- To determine the seasonality of Aeromonas-associated diarrhea in Perth, Western Australia.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, year-long study involving 1156 children with gastroenteritis and matched controls.
- Isolation and identification of enterotoxigenic Aeromonas species from stool samples.
- Clinical data collection on diarrhea duration, fever, and illness presentation.
Main Results:
- Enterotoxigenic Aeromonas species were isolated from 10.2% of children with diarrhea and 0.6% of controls.
- Aeromonas-associated diarrhea exhibited a distinct summer peak in Perth.
- Over one-third of patients experienced diarrhea lasting >2 weeks, and nearly a quarter had dysentery-like illness.
Conclusions:
- Enterotoxigenic Aeromonas species are a notable cause of childhood diarrhea in Perth, with a clear seasonal pattern.
- The clinical spectrum ranges from mild, short-duration watery diarrhea to prolonged illness and dysentery-like symptoms.
- Some clinical features may resemble ulcerative colitis, warranting further investigation.
Abstract:
Enterotoxigenic Aeromonas spp. were isolated from 118 (10.2%) children with diarrhoea and 7 (0.6%) of those without diarrhoea in a prospective, year-long study of 1156 children with gastroenteritis and the same number of age and sex matched controls. In Perth, Western Australia, aeromonas-associated diarrhoea is distinctly seasonal with a sharp summer peak. The disease most commonly presents in children under two years of age as watery diarrhoea of short duration and mild fever which require no specific treatment. In more than one-third of patients diarrhoea lasted for over 2 weeks and in almost one-quarter there was a dysentery-like illness. In some patients with aeromonas-associated diarrhoea the clinical features could be regarded as suggestive of ulcerative colitis.