Prevalence of enterotoxigenic motile aeromonads in children, fish, milk and ice-cream and their public health significance.

ABSTRACT

Motile aeromonads, which have been implicated as causative agents of human gastroenteritis, meningitis. endocarditis and osteomyelitis, were isolated from fish, pasteurized and flavored milk and ice creams. Forty-five isolates of Aeromonas from diarrheic children (100) and 285 food samples comprising of fish (100), milk (85) and ice creams (100) were identified as A. hydrophila (21), A. sobria (16) and A. caviae (8). Five of these 45 isolates of Aeromonoas (3 A. sobria, 2 A. hydrophila) were from fecal samples of diarrheic children under five years of age. Twenty-six of these 45 isolates were found to be enterotoxin producing by ligated rabbit ileum loop technique. Isolation of enterotoxigenic motile aeromonads from food as well as diarrheic children have great public health significance which will be further discussed.