Abstract
[Truncated] Members of the genus Aeromonas are Gram-negative rods globally distributed in aquatic and soil environments. For over one hundred years they have been associated with infections in humans, other mammals and cold-blooded species. Infections in fish and snails have resulted in serious financial losses to the aquaculture and French snail farming industry.
Before the advent of molecular techniques, classification of Aeromonas was based solely on the different phenotypic characteristics associated with each individual species. However, the heterogeneous nature of motile and mesophilic Aeromonas species has led to an unreliable and unstable taxonomy and schemes designed for the identification of this group have not always been suitable for the identification of non-motile, psychrophilic species.
The aims of this research were:
1. To characterize a collection of clinical and environmental Aeromonas isolates from the state of Western Australia using phenotypic and genotypic methods in order to determine the prevalence of species in this region.
2. To investigate the taxonomic position of isolates as determined by phylogenetic trees.
3. To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of clinical and environmental Aeromonas spp. to antibacterial agents currently in use in clinical practice.
4. To assess the presence of virulence factors of Aeromonas species in order to determine the presence of pathogenic strains currently circulating within the WA community and its environment.
Before the advent of molecular techniques, classification of Aeromonas was based solely on the different phenotypic characteristics associated with each individual species. However, the heterogeneous nature of motile and mesophilic Aeromonas species has led to an unreliable and unstable taxonomy and schemes designed for the identification of this group have not always been suitable for the identification of non-motile, psychrophilic species.
The aims of this research were:
1. To characterize a collection of clinical and environmental Aeromonas isolates from the state of Western Australia using phenotypic and genotypic methods in order to determine the prevalence of species in this region.
2. To investigate the taxonomic position of isolates as determined by phylogenetic trees.
3. To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of clinical and environmental Aeromonas spp. to antibacterial agents currently in use in clinical practice.
4. To assess the presence of virulence factors of Aeromonas species in order to determine the presence of pathogenic strains currently circulating within the WA community and its environment.
| Original language | English |
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| Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
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| Publication status | Unpublished - 2015 |