Incidence of toxic Aeromonas isolated from food and human infection.

One hundred and ninety four Aeromonas isolates (99 from food and 95 from clinical sources) were analyzed as to the species involved and the toxins produced. Of the clinical isolates of Aeromonas, 29.4% were enterotoxigenic, 43.1% were hemolytic and 89% were cytotoxigenic. Among the food isolates, 18.2% were enterotoxigenic, 17.1% were hemolytic and 72.7% were cytotoxigenic. Aeromonas sobria and Aeromonas veronii produced more enterotoxin and cytotoxin than the other isolates, whereas A. veronii and Aeromonas salmonicida produced cell-free hemolysin. Most of the isolates produced cytotoxins (81%) active on Vero (green monkey kidney) and Chinese hamster ovary cells, but only the culture supernatant of A. sobria produced vacuolation in these cell lines.