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Environmental Health and Preventive... Sep 2016The genus Aeromonas is known to causes diseases such as food poisoning, sepsis, and wound infection. However, the mode of Aeromonas transmission from environment to...
OBJECTIVES
The genus Aeromonas is known to causes diseases such as food poisoning, sepsis, and wound infection. However, the mode of Aeromonas transmission from environment to humans is not clearly understood. To evaluate the health risks of Aeromonas spp. in environmental freshwater, the number, proportion and putative virulence factors of Aeromonas species were investigated in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
METHODS
Environmental freshwater samples were collected from three dams, two springs and three private wells. Aeromonas strains were identified by the biochemical method and the viable count was calculated. The production of extracellular enzymes and the virulence genes were investigated for possessing putative virulence factors using representative isolates.
RESULTS
At least seven species of already-known Aeromonas isolates as well as unidentified Aeromonas spp. with/without arginin dehydrolase (ADH) exist in water at these sites. Aeromonas spp. was found to exist at over 1000 CFU/100 ml in one spring and two wells. A. veronii biovar sobria and A. jandaei were the predominant species in dams, and A. hydrophila and/or A. eucrenophila were predominant in wells. Almost all the sampled Aeromonas species produced protease, gelatinase, lipase, esterase and DNase, but A. caviae, A. caviae-like bacteria, and A. eucrenophila had low hemolytic activity. Most sampled A. hydrophila strains possessed both aerolysin gene (aer) and hemolysin gene (hlyA), but A. caviae and A. eucrenophila strains did not possess either gene.
CONCLUSIONS
Since these results indicated that several Aeromonas species having potential pathogenicity exist in environmental water in Okinawa, surveys are recommended as a public health measure.
Topics: Aeromonas; Drinking Water; Fresh Water; Japan; Natural Springs; Virulence Factors; Water Supply; Water Wells
PubMed: 27075357
DOI: 10.1007/s12199-016-0528-0 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Feb 2019Using bacteria to transform reactive corrosion products into stable compounds represents an alternative to traditional methods employed in iron conservation. Two...
Using bacteria to transform reactive corrosion products into stable compounds represents an alternative to traditional methods employed in iron conservation. Two environmental strains (CA23 and CU5) were used to transform ferric iron corrosion products (goethite and lepidocrocite) into stable ferrous iron-bearing minerals (vivianite and siderite). A genomic and transcriptomic approach was used to analyze the metabolic traits of these strains and to evaluate their pathogenic potential. Although genes involved in solid-phase iron reduction were identified, key genes present in other environmental iron-reducing species are missing from the genome of CU5. Several pathogenicity factors were identified in the genomes of both strains, but none of these was expressed under iron reduction conditions. Additional tests showed hemolytic and cytotoxic activities for strain CA23 but not for strain CU5. Both strains were easily inactivated using ethanol and heat. Nonetheless, given a lesser potential for a pathogenic lifestyle, CU5 is the most promising candidate for the development of a bio-based iron conservation method stabilizing iron corrosion. Based on all the results, a prototype treatment was established using archaeological items. On those, the conversion of reactive corrosion products and the formation of a homogenous layer of biogenic iron minerals were achieved. This study shows how naturally occurring microorganisms and their metabolic capabilities can be used to develop bio-inspired solutions to the problem of metal corrosion. Microbiology can greatly help in the quest for a sustainable solution to the problem of iron corrosion, which causes important economic losses in a wide range of fields, including the protection of cultural heritage and building materials. Using bacteria to transform reactive and unstable corrosion products into more-stable compounds represents a promising approach. The overall aim of this study was to develop a method for the conservation and restoration of corroded iron items, starting from the isolation of iron-reducing bacteria from natural environments. This resulted in the identification of a suitable candidate ( sp. strain CU5) that mediates the formation of desirable minerals at the surfaces of the objects. This led to the proof of concept of an application method on real objects.
Topics: Aeromonas; Bacterial Proteins; Biodegradation, Environmental; Corrosion; Ferric Compounds; Genome, Bacterial; Iron; Iron Compounds; Minerals; Oxidation-Reduction
PubMed: 30478230
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02042-18 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Jun 1996Cefsulodin was evaluated as a potential selective agent for aeromonads. Resistance of Aeromonas and coliform isolates was determined by using a standard disk diffusion... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Cefsulodin was evaluated as a potential selective agent for aeromonads. Resistance of Aeromonas and coliform isolates was determined by using a standard disk diffusion technique. A total of 119 Aeromonas and 78 coliform strains were isolated. For 102 of 130 [corrected] Aeromonas isolates (environmental and reference strains), the MIC of cefsulodin was < 8 micrograms/ml. Results of MIC tests by the agar dilution method showed that a concentration of cefsulodin of 10 micrograms/ml or less inhibited the growth of 96% of isolates. In comparison, for 81 of 94 coliform isolates (environmental and reference strains), the MIC of cefsulodin was > 32 micrograms/ml. Because cefsulodin suppresses growth of Aeromonas and other oxidase-positive organisms, total coliform (TC) and Escherichia coli counts on Chromocult Coliform agar (CC agar) without cefsulodin and on CC agar with 10 mg of cefsulodin per liter (CC-CFS) were compared. Variance analysis of data from 14 sewage-polluted irrigation water specimens did not demonstrate any statistically significant difference in the enumeration of E. coli with CC and CC-CFS media. On average, the CC agar recovered 2.46 times as many TCs as CC-CFS. However, Aeromonas colonies made up an average of 58.6% of the TC counts on CC agar. Because no Aeromonas spp. were recovered on CC-CFS, background interference was eliminated and the counts that were obtained reflected more accurately the number of TCs. Results of this study suggest that cefsulodin may be a useful selective agent against Aeromonas spp. which should be included in coliform chromogenic media when high levels of accompanying flora are expected.
Topics: Aeromonas; Cefsulodin; Cephalosporins; Colony Count, Microbial; Culture Media; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Enterobacteriaceae; Escherichia coli; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Sewage; Water Microbiology
PubMed: 8787387
DOI: 10.1128/aem.62.6.1885-1888.1996 -
Epidemiology and Infection Aug 1995A total of 332 Aeromonas spp. originating from drinking water (n = 75), fresh water (n = 57), chicken and ground beef (107), human faecal samples in association with... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
A total of 332 Aeromonas spp. originating from drinking water (n = 75), fresh water (n = 57), chicken and ground beef (107), human faecal samples in association with travelling (n = 49), human faecal samples not associated with travelling (n = 38), and six strains from human blood cultures were studied by phenotypic methods and by using analysis of ribopatterns as a molecular method for the identification of the 13 known hybridization groups (HGs). Also included were the reference strains of each HG. A. hydrophila HG 1, A. caviae HG 4 and A. veronii biotype sobria HG 8/10 were the most important genospecies identified in human faecal samples. A. hydrophila HG 2 and A. media HG 5B predominated in drinking water and A. hydrophila HG 2 and HG 3, A. media HG 5A and HG 5B predominated in fresh water. In drinking water only one isolate was A. hydrophila HG 1 and two isolates were A. caviae HG 4. Clinically important Aeromonas spp. HG 1 (A. hydrophila), HG 4 (A. caviae) and HG 8/10 (A. veronii biotype sobria) were common in chicken and ground beef. In contrast to the drinking water samples, HG 5A was common in chicken and ground beef samples. Atypical, unidentified isolates were most often found in fresh water samples (12/57 strains). Although water has been suspected of being an important source of human aeromonas infections, clinically important HGs were found to be in the minority among Aeromonas spp. identified in drinking water or fresh water. The distribution of Aeromonas spp. HGs among drinking water, chicken and ground beef samples was also different, suggesting that contamination of meat or chicken may not originate from water.
Topics: Adult; Aeromonas; Aeromonas hydrophila; Animals; Cattle; Chickens; Feces; Finland; Genotype; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Humans; Meat; Phenotype; RNA, Ribosomal; Travel; Water Microbiology
PubMed: 7641837
DOI: 10.1017/s0950268800058106 -
TheScientificWorldJournal Dec 2001In order to evaluate the impact of pollution and sewage on the occurrence and antibiotic resistance of mesophilic aeromonads in riverine freshwaters of Marrakech,...
In order to evaluate the impact of pollution and sewage on the occurrence and antibiotic resistance of mesophilic aeromonads in riverine freshwaters of Marrakech, samples were collected from three rivers (Oukaimeden, Ourika, and Tensift) upstream and downstream from the principal bordering villages. During a 2-year study, indicators of pollution increased dramatically in the downstream waters. Bacterial indicators (faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci) correlated with mesophilic aeromonads only in heavily polluted waters. In low and moderately polluted sources, densities of mesophilic aeromonads were independent of water quality indicators and did not correlate statistically with faecal indicators. Average counts of Aeromonas in low and heavily polluted waters were 2.5 x 10(3) and 2.1 x 10(6) colony forming units per 100 ml, respectively. The biochemical identification of 841 isolates indicated a predominance of A. caviae in heavily and moderately polluted water and sediment. A. hydrophila was dominant only in low polluted waters and when the temperature was below 12 degrees C. High densities of A. sobria were found in low, moderately polluted, or cleaned waters and when the water temperature was above 18 degrees C. All selected isolates (total = 841) were tested for antibiotic susceptibility against 21 antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance frequencies recorded were: ampicillin and amoxicillin, 100%; novobiocin, 96%; cefalotin, 81%; colistin, 72%; sulfamethoxazole, 40%; cefamandole, 37%; polymyxin B, 23%; trimethoprim, 17%; erythromycin, 15%; streptomycin, 8%; amoxicillin-clavulanate, 5%. Resistance to cefotaxime, kanamycin, gentamycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, nalidixic acid, rifampicin, or trimethoprim-sulfameth-oxazole was found to be <5%. Antibiotic resistance rates did vary according to the source of a strain"s isolation, and high numbers of antibiotic resistant strains were recorded in polluted samples. Since no correlation between mesophilic aeromonads and conventional faecal pollution indicators was observed in low or moderately polluted waters, and since these freshwaters are used for domestic supply, we propose the use of mesophilic aeromonads as complementary water pollution indicators to ensure the safety of water.
Topics: Aeromonas; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Morocco; Rivers
PubMed: 12805714
DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2001.284 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Feb 2002Sparse information is available on the virulence factors of Aeromonas strains isolated from diseased fish, from the environment, and from humans. In the present study,...
Sparse information is available on the virulence factors of Aeromonas strains isolated from diseased fish, from the environment, and from humans. In the present study, 52 Aeromonas isolates obtained from epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) lesions in fish, from the aquatic environment, and from children with diarrhea in Bangladesh were identified by biochemical phenotyping (i.e., PhenePlate [PhP] typing) and DNA fingerprinting and then characterized with respect to certain putative virulence factors. The isolates from the fish exhibiting EUS symptoms were identified to be Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria by fatty acid methyl ester analysis and amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting. Biochemical phenotyping revealed that all EUS-associated isolates belonged to a unique phenotype which was not identified among more than 1,600 environmental and diarrheal isolates in a previously collected database of PhP types of Bangladeshi Aeromonas isolates. The 52 Aeromonas isolates were investigated for the production of hemolysin and cytotoxin; for hemagglutination with erythrocytes from fish, human, and rabbit sources; for the presence of a cytolytic enterotoxin gene; and for adhesion to and invasion into fish cell lines. All of the EUS isolates produced all of the virulence factors investigated, as did also some of the environmental isolates, but the isolates from EUS were unique in their ability to agglutinate fish erythrocytes. Our results suggest that a clonal group of A. veronii biovar sobria is associated with, and may be a causative agent of, EUS in fish in Bangladesh.
Topics: Aeromonas; Animals; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacterial Toxins; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Bangladesh; Catfishes; Diarrhea; Fish Diseases; Fishes; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Hemagglutination Tests; Humans; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Rabbits; Virulence
PubMed: 11823203
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.2.650-655.2002 -
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Jul 1985MICs of 22 antimicrobial agents for 60 strains of three Aeromonas species were determined by a microdilution method. The newer cephalosporins such as moxalactam,... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
MICs of 22 antimicrobial agents for 60 strains of three Aeromonas species were determined by a microdilution method. The newer cephalosporins such as moxalactam, cefotaxime, and cefoperazone, the aminoglycosides, and chloramphenicol, tetracycline, nitrofurantoin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole inhibited most of the strains studied. Within the genus, A. hydrophila was more resistant than either A. caviae or A. sobria to the antibiotics tested.
Topics: Aeromonas; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Infections; Child; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; Species Specificity
PubMed: 4037775
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.28.1.151 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Sep 1991The spatiotemporal distributions of Aeromonas spp. and fecal coliforms in a cove receiving sewage treatment effluent and draining into a brackish lagoon were studied for...
The spatiotemporal distributions of Aeromonas spp. and fecal coliforms in a cove receiving sewage treatment effluent and draining into a brackish lagoon were studied for 34 months with sampling at six stations. A total of 452 strains of Aeromonas spp. were isolated and identified at the outflow of the treatment system and at stations in the cove. Hemolytic activity of 289 Aeromonas strains was determined. The Aeromonas spp. and fecal coliform distributions showed seasonal cycles in the pond effluent. These seasonal bacterial cycles were persistent in effluent, at the discharge point, and in the cove. However, the abundance levels of these bacterial distributions decreased gradually from the coast to the open lagoon. A dilution model showed that the Aeromonas spp. and fecal coliform distributions in the cove water were subject not only to dilution effect but also to other environmental factors, such as salinity. A. sobria is the most common species identified in the Aeromonas population present in the cove water. Survival studies confirmed that Aeromonas spp., especially A. sobria, were more sensitive to saline and/or marine stress than fecal coliforms. Among the Aeromonas hydrophila and A. sobria strains, 96 and 97%, respectively, produced hemolysin, whereas among the Aeromonas caviae strains, 95% were nonhemolytic.
Topics: Aeromonas; Drainage, Sanitary; Enterobacteriaceae; Feces; Sewage; Water Microbiology
PubMed: 1768120
DOI: 10.1128/aem.57.9.2459-2467.1991 -
PLoS Pathogens Dec 2021The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a spear-like nanomachine found in gram-negative pathogens for delivery of toxic effectors to neighboring bacterial and host cells....
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a spear-like nanomachine found in gram-negative pathogens for delivery of toxic effectors to neighboring bacterial and host cells. Its assembly requires a tip spike complex consisting of a VgrG-trimer, a PAAR protein, and the interacting effectors. However, how the spike controls T6SS assembly remains elusive. Here we investigated the role of three VgrG-effector pairs in Aeromonas dhakensis strain SSU, a clinical isolate with a constitutively active T6SS. By swapping VgrG tail sequences, we demonstrate that the C-terminal ~30 amino-acid tail dictates effector specificity. Double deletion of vgrG1&2 genes (VgrG3+) abolished T6SS secretion, which can be rescued by ectopically expressing chimeric VgrG3 with a VgrG1/2-tail but not the wild type VgrG3. In addition, deletion of effector-specific chaperones also severely impaired T6SS secretion, despite the presence of intact VgrG and effector proteins, in both SSU and Vibrio cholerae V52. We further show that SSU could deliver a V. cholerae effector VasX when expressing a plasmid-borne chimeric VgrG with VasX-specific VgrG tail and chaperone sequences. Pull-down analyses show that two SSU effectors, TseP and TseC, could interact with their cognate VgrGs, the baseplate protein TssK, and the key assembly chaperone TssA. Effectors TseL and VasX could interact with TssF, TssK and TssA in V. cholerae. Collectively, we demonstrate that chimeric VgrG-effector pairs could bypass the requirement of heterologous VgrG complex and propose that effector-stuffing inside the baseplate complex, facilitated by chaperones and the interaction with structural proteins, serves as a crucial structural determinant for T6SS assembly.
Topics: Aeromonas; Bacterial Proteins; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Type VI Secretion Systems; Vibrio cholerae
PubMed: 34852023
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010116 -
Veterinary Research Communications Feb 2020Abundance and antibiotic resistance of bacteria of the genus Aeromonas isolated from the water of three carp ponds were studied. The number of those bacteria differed...
Abundance and antibiotic resistance of bacteria of the genus Aeromonas isolated from the water of three carp ponds were studied. The number of those bacteria differed between the studied ponds, sites and season. The results of the present study showed that planktonic Aeromonas inhabiting those ponds strongly differed in the resistance level to tested antibiotics. These microorganisms were the most resistant to amoxicillin, ampicillin, clindamycin and penicillin. However, all isolates Aeromonas were susceptible to gentamycin and streptomycin. Majority of bacterial strains were characterized by resistance to 4-6 of the 12 antibiotics tested. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics depended on their chemical structure. Aeromonas strains isolated from the studied ponds were the most resistant to β-lactam and lincosamides antibiotics, while the most susceptible to aminoglycosides, chloramphenicols and fluoroquinolones.
Topics: Aeromonas; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Aquaculture; Carps; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Poland; Ponds; Population Density
PubMed: 31965460
DOI: 10.1007/s11259-020-09768-x