ABSTRACT
Aeromonas species are gram-negative, oxidase-positive, facultative anaerobic rod-shaped bacteria in the family Aeromonadaceae that are ubiquitously distributed in aquatic environments and established pathogens of fish and marine animals. 1 They are also associated with a wide spectrum of diseases in humans, including gastroenteritis, septicemia, skin and soft-tissue infections, biliary tract infection, and other uncommon infections. 1 Human infections, predominated by gastroenteritis of either acute, self-limited diarrhea, or cholera-like illness, are increasingly recognized and reported, and their clinical variety is expanding. Although the involvement of aeromonads as enteropathogens has been questioned, their pathogenic role in causing human gastrointestinal infection is supported by accumulating evidence. 1–3 Not only could aeromonads be isolated from different foods, but they could also be detected in returning travelers suffering from diarrhea. Globally three major species isolated from clinical, food, and water sources are Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria, and Aeromonas caviae. However, the list of newly identified Aeromonas species becomes longer and longer. In light of the rapidly evolving landscape around Aeromonas species, we present an overview on the clinical epidemiology, variation, and antimicrobial treatment of Aeromonas-induced gastroenteritis, the isolation of aeromonads from feces, and the putative virulence factors in aeromonads causing gastroenteritis, along with current evidence supporting the pathogenic role of aeromonads in human gastrointestinal infections.
