J Med Microbiol 56 (2007), 998; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.47225-0
© 2007 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644
Authors' reply to ‘Controversial data on the association of Aeromonas with diarrhoea in a recent Hong Kong study’
Yiu Wai Chu,
Chi Ho Wong,
Grand K. L. Tsang,
Mike S. W. Kwok,
Raymond K. O. Wong,
Janice Y. C. Lo and
Kai Man Kam
Microbiology Division, Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
Correspondence
Yiu Wai Chu
(alf{at}chp.gov.hk)
In the correspondence article that we published (Chu et al., 2006), no attempt was made to demonstrate whether Aeromonas spp. are capable of causing diarrhoea or not, in contrast to the interpretation of our data by Figueras et al. (2007). We take a neutral stance on the issue. What our data have shown is that our current method for detection of the organism, i.e. culture, in our clinical setting whereby specimens are coming into our laboratory from outpatient clinics around Hong Kong, is not providing clinically useful information. Our faecal specimens are characterized by (1) an origin from patients with relatively mild clinical presentations which do not merit hospitalization, (2) limited clinical information provided on the laboratory request form, and (3) the possibility of delayed processing during transport from diverse outpatient settings to the laboratory. The limitations of our study have already been discussed in the original correspondence article, and our conclusion merely stated the lack of a statistically significant association between diarrhoeal symptoms and the isolation of aeromonads in faeces.
As front-line workers providing public health services, we would very much welcome the association of definitive pathogenic traits with Aeromonas that could at the same time be applied for laboratory diagnosis (e.g. Shiga toxin production in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli), instead of detection of an array of putative virulence factors. We await reports of such characteristics in Aeromonas, which will no doubt help us to provide a better and more cost-effective clinical laboratory service.
REFERENCES
Chu, Y. W., Wong, C. H., Tsang, G. K. L., Kwok, M. S. W., Wong, R. K. O., Lo, J. Y. C. & Kam, K. M. (2006). Lack of association between presentation of diarrhoeal symptoms and faecal isolation of Aeromonas spp. amongst outpatients in Hong Kong. J Med Microbiol 55, 349–351.[Free Full Text]
Figueras, M. J., Hormen-Carnahan, A., Martinez-Murcia, A. & Guarro, J. (2007). Controversial data on the association of Aeromonas with diarrhoea in a recent study in Hong Kong. J Med Microbiol 56, 996–998.[Free Full Text]
