Faecal carriage rate of Aeromonas hydrophila

Over a four and a half month period, 1004 unselected routine faecal specimens from 815 patients were cultured for Aeromonas hydrophila. Forty-two specimens (4.2%) representing 38 patients were culture-positive. The study specimens also yielded Salmonella on 116 occasions, Shigella on seven, Campylobacter species on six and other bacterial pathogens on 17 occasions, respectively. Seven specimens had A hydrophila together with another bacterial pathogen. In only 19 of 38 patients (50%) was A hydrophila possibly associated with gastrointestinal symptoms. All the Aeromonas isolates were resistant to ampicillin but sensitive to gentamicin, piperacillin, mecillinam, chloramphenicol, ceftazidime and colistin.