Virulent and multidrug-resistant Aeromonas in aquatic environments of Kerala, India: potential risks to fish and humans.

ABSTRACT: Aeromonas inhabit diverse aquatic habitats and are recognized as both opportunistic and primary pathogens of fish and humans. This study delineates the biochemical and gyrB sequence-based molecular identification of 14 Aeromonas strains isolated from aquatic environments in Kerala, India, identifying them as A. dhakensis (50%), A. hydrophila (28.6%), and A. jandaei (21.4%). These strains exhibit a high prevalence of virulence genes (act, flaA, ser, gcat, lip, and ela) implicated in pathogenesis in both fish and humans. These findings underline the emergence of A. dhakensis, often misidentified as A. hydrophila, as a potential pathogen, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive identification methods. Significantly, all strains demonstrated beta-hemolysis and moderate to strong biofilm f

SUBMITTER: Nagar V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11885762 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature