An outbreak of hospital acquired diarrhea due to Aeromonas sobria.

Six children admitted in a 18 bedded hematology-oncology unit, developed acute diarrhea in a four week period between March and April 2001. Salmonella senftenberg was the additional pathogen in the stool sample of one patient who developed cola colored urine and pneumonia in the course of his illness. All the Aeromonas strains had a similar biotype and antibiogram. The diarrhea subsided spontaneously in two children whilst three responded to antimicrobial therapy. One patient sought discharge and did not return for a follow up. Aeromonas sobria with a similar profile as the isolates from the patients could be isolated from only one of several environmental sites. The outbreak could be contained by appropriate interventional measures.