Aeromonas septicaemia in Hong Kong species distribution and associated disease

J Infect. 1995 May;30(3):241-4. doi: 10.1016/s0163-4453(95)90808-0.

Abstract

During a 5-year study of 2211 patients with clinically significant positive blood cultures in Hong Kong. Aeromonas spp. were isolated in 40 cases. Among 26 episodes in which a single species was isolated. 17 (65.4%) were identified as Aeromonas hydrophila. 8 (30.8%) as A. sobria and one (3.8%) as A. caviae. There were 14 episodes with a mixture of species. Of these, nine (64.3%) were identified as A. hydrophila, two (14.3%) as A. sobria, and two (14.3%) as A. caviae. One (7.1%) was an infection with both A. sobria and A. hydrophila. These polymicrobial infections were usually combined with the presence of Enterobacteriaceae. Hepatobiliary disease was the underlying problem in 24 cases (60.0%) and malignant neoplasia in 14 (35.0%) cases. Most patients presented with fever and leucocytosis. The mortality rate for A. sobria septicaemia was not significantly different from the average rate for all septicaemias. A total of 30 isolates was available for sensitivity testing with 17 antibiotics. More than 86.0% were resistant to ampicillin, and the addition of the beta-lactamase inhibitor sulbactam did not restore its activity. All strains tested were sensitive to cefotaxime, ceftazidime, aztreonam, imipenem, norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aeromonas / classification
  • Aeromonas / isolation & purification*
  • Aeromonas hydrophila / isolation & purification
  • Bacteremia / complications
  • Bacteremia / epidemiology
  • Bacteremia / microbiology*
  • Bacteriological Techniques
  • Biliary Tract Diseases / complications
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / complications
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / epidemiology
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / microbiology*
  • Hong Kong / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Liver Diseases / complications
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Neoplasms / complications
  • Species Specificity