Detection of enterotoxins of Aeromonas hydrophila by a suckling-mouse test.

The suckling-mouse assay was reliable for detecting enterotoxigenic strains of Aeromonas hydrophila when standard conditions for growth and toxin testing were used. Enterotoxins were produced by bacteria grown in tryptone soya broth supplemented with yeast extract and aerated by shaking in an environmental incubator or water bath. When culture supernates together with dye were administered intragastrically to mice less than 6 days old, the presence of enterotoxin was assessed on the basis of a scoring system that incorporated the ratio intestinal weight: remaining body weight, and production of diarrhoea. This method should facilitate the detection of enterotoxigenic strains of Aeromonas in epidemiological studies.