Gastrointestinal colonization rates for human clinical isolates of Aeromonas veronii using a mouse model.

A variety of environment-associated gastrointestinal infections have been associated with the Aeromonas group of bacteria which contain both non-virulent strains as well as virulent strains within a particular species. This study monitors the colonization rates of colon tissue in a mouse-streptomycin dose/response model involving isolates of Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria obtained from human clinical specimens. The ability to successfully colonize mouse colon tissues by the human clinical isolates was then compared with the rates achieved in a previous study of Aeromonas isolates obtained from environmental drinking water samples. Results suggest that strains of Aeromonas isolated from drinking water environmental samples contain pathogenic and virulence capabilities similar to those seen in Aeromonas veronii clinical isolates from human infections.