Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Aeromonas is widely distributed in aquatic environments. This study describes the pathogenic characteristics of Aeromonas isolated from adult diarrhea patients and aquatic environments in Beijing, China. METHODS: Aeromonas isolates from patients with diarrhea and river water samples were assessed using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and antibiotic resistance profiling. RESULTS: In total, 38 Aeromonas isolates were collected. Among these, 13 isolates were from patients with common clinical symptoms, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. Four of 13 Aeromonas-positive patients were co-infected with other intestinal pathogens. Patient-derived Aeromonas isolates showed high resistance to ampicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, nalidixic acid, and tetracycline, whereas water-derived isolates showed high resistance to ampicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, and nalidixic acid. Phylogenetic analysis revealed seven independent branches, without significant clustering among patient- and water-derived isolates. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable insights into the prevalence and characteristics of Aeromonas. The intertwined distribution of patient- and water-derived isolates in the phylogenetic tree deserves attention.