Virulence factors of A. caviae strains isolated from acute diarrheic disease in Cuba.

Fifty Aeromonas caviae strains from intestinal infection in different Cuban provinces were identified by the Aerokey II method and virulence factors were investigated. The strains did not produce haemolysins but other exoenzymes such as proteases, lipases, and DNases; additionally, all isolates adhered to the HEp-2 cell line by the Carrello method and this did not correlate with other virulence factors presence which demonstrates that the haemolysin phenotypic expression is not necessary for these strains to be pathogenic and that pathogenicity is multifactorial, each strain expressing at least one virulence factor.