Aeromonas species bacteremia in nonimmunocompromised hosts. Two case reports and a review of the literature

Aeromonas hydrophila septicemia usually occurs in immunocompromised hosts. We present two case reports of Aeromonas hydrophila septicemia in uncompromised patients from two medical centers. Three additional cases (two in immunocompromised hosts and one in normal host) were found in these centers after retrospective screening of bacteriologic records over the last 3 years. A review of the English medical literature over four decades revealed only 24 additional cases of Aeromonas infection in the nonimmunocompromised host. The primary sources of Aeromonas bacteremia are abdominal and soft tissue infections. In the normal host the prognosis is good when antibiotic treatment is initiated early. Aeromonas are sensitive to aminoglycosides, second- and third-generation cephalosporins, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole and ureidopenicillin. There appears to be an increased recognition of this organism, as well as an increase in frequency of Aeromonas-related infection.