@article{Indra_Geetha_Kumar_2016, title={IDENTIFICATION AND SCREENING OF EXTRACELLULAR VIRULENCE FACTORS OF AEROMONAS SPP. IN ENVIRONMENTAL WATER SAMPLES FROM TAMILNADU, SOUTH INDIA}, volume={8}, url={https://journals.innovareacademics.in/index.php/ijpps/article/view/10235}, abstractNote={<p class="Default"><strong>Objective: </strong><em>Aeromonas</em> species (spp.) are emerging pathogen that is present in drinking water supplies which are a major reason for public health concern. Factors contributing to virulence include toxins, haemolysins, adhesins and various hydrolytic enzymes. The present study aimed at investigating the incidence of <em>Aeromonas</em> spp. and its virulence factors from environmental water bodies in Coimbatore.</p><p class="Default"><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 180 water samples were collected and screened for the presence of pathogenic <em>Aeromonas</em> spp. using starch ampicillin agar. The conventional method of identification might lead to misidentification of <em>Aeromonas</em> spp. thus molecular based identification using 16S rRNA gene was carried out followed by the identification of production of extracellular virulence factors like haemolysin, gelatinase, caseinase, lipase and DNase.</p><p class="Default"><strong>Results: </strong>Incidence of <em>Aeromonas</em> in water sample was found to be 55% (100 positive isolates) which was also confirmed with the molecular identification. The isolates showed 60% of haemolytic activity, 34% of gelatinase activity, 77% of caseinase, 52% of lipase and 48% of DNase activity.</p><p class="Default"><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study, thus, provides valuable information for the existence of pathogenic <em>Aeromonas</em> spp. in the environmental water bodies. Use of such water for domestic and commercial purpose might lead to the transfer of the pathogenic <em>Aeromonas</em> spp.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong><em>Aeromonas</em> spp, Haemolysis, Caseinase, DNase, Gelatinase and lipase.</p>}, number={3}, journal={International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences}, author={Indra, Umapathy and Geetha, Palaniswamy and Kumar, Balasubramanian Lakshman}, year={2016}, month={Mar.}, pages={388–389} }