Plesiomonas shigelloides is a facultative, anaerobic, gram-negative rod, oxidasepositive, that was recently classified in the family Enterobacteriaceae. They are the members of the expanding group of known water and food borne pathogens.
The Greek name “plesios,” which means neighbor, and “monas,” which means unit, implies a neighboring group to the genus Aeromonas.
Common environmental reservoirs for plesiomonads include freshwater ecosystems and estuaries and inhabitants of these aquatic environs.
The bacterium has been increasingly recognized as an enteric pathogen and as a causative agent do various extra-intestinal infections such as septicemia, meningitis, septic arthritis, pseudo-appendicitis and cellulitis.
In patients with diarrheal disease, P. shigelloides has been linked to isolated cases of enteritis and dysentery-like syndromes in individuals returning from travel in foreign countries, particularly Mexico, or after the consumption of shellfish or untreated water.
The prevalence of P. shigelloides enteritis varies considerably, with higher rates reported from Southeast Asia and Africa and lower numbers from North America and Europe. Reasons for these differences may include hygiene conditions, dietary habits, regional occupations, or other unknown factors.
There have also been reports of outbreaks attributed to the consumption of freshwater fish in Zaire and contaminated raw oysters and shellfish in the United States. These facts imply that the most common sources of P. shigelloides intestinal infections may be contaminated water and raw seafood.
Species of bacteria: Plesiomonas shigelloides
