Aeromonas species isolated from medicinal leeches

Aeromonas hydrophila infections are a recognized complication of the use of medicinal leeches. The authors performed an experiment designed to find a safe and practical way to sterilize the leech gut of pathogenic organisms. Leeches were incubated for a 12-hour period in solutions of antibiotic effe ctive against A. hydrophila. The incubations in the antibiotic solutions fa iled to eradicate pathogenic bacteria from the gut of the leeches. The auth ors examined cultures of bacteria isolated from the guts of the commonly us ed Hirudo medicinalis (European leech) and found a wide variety of pathogen ic organisms. A. hydrophila is widely believed to be the most common enteri c pathogen, but the authors found A. sobria more frequently in their experi ment. They also cultured the guts of the leech H. michaelseni recently used clinically in South Africa. A. caviae was the most common pathogen encount ered in these leeches, A. caviae and A. sobria cause a spectra of disease s imilar to A. hydrophila. The authors endorse the current recommendation tha t all patients who have leech therapy for congested flaps or replants recei ve broad-spectrum prophylactic antibiotics. This appears to be the safest a nd simplest way to prevent leech-related infections.