Aeromonas isolates from human diarrheic stool and groundwater compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
Gastrointestinal infections of Aeromonas species are generally considered waterborne; for this reason, Aeromonas hydrophila has been placed on the United States Environmental Protection Agency Contaminant Candidate List of emerging pathogens in drinking water. In this study, we compared pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns of Aeromonas isolates from stool specimens of patients with diarrhea with Aeromonas isolates from patients' drinking water. Among 2,565 diarrheic stool specimens submitted to a Wisconsin clinical reference laboratory, 17 (0.66%) tested positive for Aeromonas. Groundwater isolates of Aeromonas were obtained from private wells throughout Wisconsin and the drinking water of Aeromonas-positive patients. The analysis showed that the stool and drinking water isolates were genetically unrelated, suggesting that in this population Aeromonas gastrointestinal infections were not linked with groundwater exposures.
Borchardt
Mark A
MA
Marshfield Medical Research Foundation, Marshfield, Wisconsin 54449, USA. borcharm@mmrf.mfldclin.edu
Stemper
Mary E
ME
Standridge
Jon H
JH
D000333:Aeromonas / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply