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Abstract
Plesiomonas shigelloides is a unique Gram-negative polarly flagellated pathogenic bacterium native to aquatic animals and environments. The genus Plesiomonas consists of a single homogeneous species. Its metabolism is similar to that of the genus Vibrio in that sugars are fermented with acid production but no gas. 5S rDNA sequencing has indicated the organism to be closely related to the genus Proteus. Diarrhea is the major symptom although extra intestinal infections, including septicemia, are known to occur with predisposed individuals. Oysters are the major food incriminated in outbreaks in the United States. A temperature of 42–44°C is recommended for isolation to eliminate aeromonads. The utilization of inositol with acid production is a unique characteristic of the organism that is exploited with several agar media developed for its selective and differential isolation. The organism is β-hemolytic and produces a cholera-like (CL) enterotoxin in addition to a thermostabile (TS) and a thermolabile labile (LT) enterotoxin. A large plasmid (>120 mdalton) has also been found to facilitate invasion. A variety of factors have been found to influence results obtained from application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to the DNA of the organism.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Preparation of this review was supported in part by a Special Seafood Safety grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture #2004-34423-15185. It is paper no. 3405 from the University of Massachusetts Experiment Station, Amherst, Mass., USA.
Notes
Schubert, R., Holz-Bremer, A. (1999). Cell adhesion of Plesiomonas shigelloides. Z. Hyg. Umweitmed. 202:383–388. Med Sci. Biol. 31:135–142.
