The occurrence of Aeromonas in drinking water, tap water and the Porsuk River

The occurrence of Aeromonas spp. in the Porsuk River, public drinking water and tap water in the City of Eskisehir (Turkey) was monitored. Fresh water samples were collected from several sampling sites during a period of one year. Total 102 typical colonies of Aeromonas spp. were submitted to biochemical tests for species differentiation and of 60 isolates were confirmed by biochemical tests. Further identifications of isolates were carried out first with the VITEK system (BioMeÿrieux) and then selected isolates from different phenotypes (VITEK types) were identified using the DuPont Qualicon RiboPrinter® system. Aeromonas spp. was detected only in the samples from the Porsuk River. According to the results obtained with the VITEK system, our isolates were 13 percent Aeromonas hydrophila, 37 percent Aeromonas caviae, 35 percent Pseudomonas putida, and 15 percent Pseudomonas acidovorans. In addition Pseudomonas sp., Pseudomonas maltophila, Aeromonas salmonicida, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Aeromonas media species were determined using the RiboPrinter® system. The samples taken from the Porsuk River were found to contain very diverse Aeromonas populations that can pose a risk for the residents of the city. On the other hand, drinking water and tap water of the City are free from Aeromonas pathogens and seem to be reliable water sources for the community.

Plesiomonasshigelloides and Aeromonadaceae family pathogens isolated from marine mammals of Southern and Southeastern Brazilian coast / Plesiomonasshigelloides e patógenos da família Aeromonadaceae isolados de mamíferos marinhos da costa sul e sudeste do Brasil

The aquatic environment is the habitat of many microorganisms, including Plesiomonasshigelloides and Aeromonas species which are pathogenic to human and animals. In the present investigation, we evaluated the occurrence of these pathogens from marine mammals beached or accidentally captured by fishing net in southeastern (RJ) and southern (RS) coastal Brazilian regions. A total of 198 swabs from 27 specimens of marine mammals, including 11 different species, were collected by DEENSP and GEMARS-CECLIMAR/UFRGS Institutes and sent to LRNCEB/IOC/FIOCRUZ. The samples were enriched in Alkaline Peptone Water (APW) added with 1 percent of sodium chloride (NaCl), APW plus 3 percent NaCl and incubated at 37ºC for 18-24 hours. Following, samples were streaked onto Pseudomonas-Aeromonas Selective Agar Base (GSP Agar) and suspected colonies were biochemically characterized. The results revealed 114 strains, including ten Aeromonas species and P.shigelloides. The main pathogens isolated were A.veronii biogroup veronii (19.3 percent), A. caviae (12.3 percent), A. hydrophila (9.6 percent) and P.shigelloides (7 percent). The pathogens were isolated in both coastal and offshore marine mammals. These data point the importance of epidemiological surveillance and microbiological monitoring and reinforce the need to implement environmental protection programs, especially related to endangered cetacean species.

O ambiente aquático é o habitat de vários microrganismos, incluindo Plesiomonasshigelloides e espécies de Aeromonas, os quais são patogênicos para o homem e os animais. Na presente investigação, foi avaliada a ocorrência destes patógenos a partir de swabs coletados de mamíferos marinhos encalhados ou capturados acidentalmente em redes de pesca nas regiões costeiras do sudeste (RJ) e sul (RS) do Brasil. O total de 198 swabs de 27 espécimes de mamíferos marinhos, incluindo 11 espécies distintas, foi coletado por profissionais dos institutos DEENSP, GEMARS-CECLIMAR/UFRGS e enviado ao LRNCEB/IOC/FIOCRUZ. Em seguida, as amostras foram submetidas a enriquecimento em Água Peptonada Alcalina (APA) adicionada de 1 por cento de cloreto de sódio (NaCl) e APA com 3 por cento de NaCl (37ºC/18-24 h). Posteriormente, as amostras foram semeadas em meio Agar Seletivo para Pseudomonas-Aeromonas (Agar GSP) e as colônias suspeitas submetidas à caracterização bioquímica. Um total de 114 cepas foram identificadas, incluindo dez espécies de Aeromonas e P.shigelloides. Os principais patógenos isolados foram A.veronii biogrupo veronii (19,3 por cento), A. caviae (12,2 por cento), A. hydrophila (9,6 por cento) e Plesiomonasshigelloides (7 por cento). Os patógenos foram encontrados tanto em espécies de mamíferos marinhos costeiros como oceânicos. Esses dados apontam para a importância da vigilância epidemiológica e monitoramento microbiológico, além de reforçar a necessidade de implantação de programas de proteção ambiental, particularmente relacionados aos mamíferos marinhos ameaçados de extinção.