Characterization of Aeromonas spp. isolated from humans with diarrhea, from healthy controls, and from surface water in Bangladesh

Aeromonas isolates from patients with diarrhea in Bangladesh (n = 69), from healthy controls (n = 11), and from surface water (n = 40) were analyzed with respect to their hybridization groups (HGs) by the aid of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) characterization and DNA fingerprinting by AFLP, biochemical phenotypes (Phe-nePlate [PhP] types), and the production of hemolysin and cytotoxin. The aim of the investigation was to find out whether certain strains carrying virulence factors predominated among patient isolates. According to FAME and/or AFLP analysis, most human isolates were allocated to DNA HGs 4 (Aeromonas caviae) and 1 (A. hydrophila). Most environmental strains were allocated to HG8 (A. veronii biogroup sobria) and HG4 (A. caviae), and only one was of…