Shape and Size

rod shaped, size ranges from 1 µm in diameter and 2 3 µm in length

Genome Information

sequencing of two strains of edwardsiella tarda is in progress

Food Source

ingestion of contaminated fish

Pathological Factor

E. tarda is typically found in the normal gut flora of fish and humans. E. tarda has a high affinity for red blood cells due to specific fimbriae that it produces. As a result, Edwardsiella tarda has hemagglutination properties. Siderophores are iron-binding molecules produced by freshwater and marine bacteria. These siderophores are related to microbial virulence, and scavenge the iron inside of host cells, providing the microbial cell essential micronutrients (Janda et al, 1991).

Disease

gastroenteritis and diarrhea

Symptoms

Acute gastroenteritis; five to six loose stools a day, nausea, vomiting, and low-grade fever. Extra-gastrointestinal; endocarditis, empyema, hepatobiliary infection, peritonitis, intra-abdominal abscess, osteomyelitis, wound infection, septicemia, bacteremia, urosepsis, and meningitis

Affected Body Organs

Gastro-intestinal organs, head, neck, kidney, skin