AEROMONAS

Description:

 Gram-negative
 straight rods (0.5-0.8 x 3.0-4.0 μm)
 Facultative anaerobes
 Catalase positive, oxidase-positive
 Ferment glucose with acid production
 Some produce gas
 Produce diastase, lipase, DNase and various proteinases such as gelatinase.

Source/Reservoir

 Widespread in freshwater, sewage and soil.

Species of Veterinary Importance

1. Aeromonas hydrophila
o Disease condition
 'Red-leg disease'
 Necrotic stomatitis in snakes, septicaemias
 Skin lesions
 Swim bladder inflammation
 Infectious ascites (following a viral infection) and haemorrhagic septicaemia
 'Fresh-water eel disease'
 Neonatal septicaemia
 Mastitis
 Septicaemia
 Diarrhoea
 Food poisoning
o Host
 Frogs
 Reptiles
 Eels, cyprinids, pike
 Pike, grass carp
 Cyprinids
 Eels
 Dogs
 Cattle
 Turkey
 Pigs
 Human
o Pathogenesis
 An opportunistic pathogen causing disease in fish and reptiles with rare reports of infections in
mammals.
o Diagnosis
 Commonly used medium: Blood agar and MacConkey agar, at 37°C for 24 hours.
 Colonies are large (2-3 mm), flat, greyish and surrounded by a large zone of beta-haemolysis
 Newly isolated strains have a pungent, foul odour.
 A. hydrophila produces acid and gas from glucose.
o Treatment and control
 Antibiotic therapy should be based on susceptibility testing of Aeromonas species and P.
shigelloides.
2. A. salmonicida subsp. Salmonicida
o Disease condition
 Furunculosis
 'Ulcer disease'
o Host animals
 Salmonids
 Goldfish (carp)
o Pathogenesis
 A. salmonicida is an obligate parasite of salmonid fish.
o Diagnosis
 Commonly used medium: blood agar, Furunculosis agar (Difco) at 25°C for 48 hours.
 Forms small colonies on blood agar that produce haemolysis after 48 hours.
 Brown pigment develops on Furunculosis agar
 Lack of motility
 Absence of gas production from glucose
 Negative result in the indole test
o Treatment and control
 Antibiotic therapy should be based on susceptibility testing of Aeromonas species and P.
shigelloides.