The incidence and characterisation of Aeromonas species in human and environmental samples in southern Italy were investigated. The results emphasize that 12.3% of the 210 examined patients carried Aeromonas spp. in their faeces. These results underline the need to include Aeromonas spp. in the list of routinely analysed enteropathogens in all diarrhoeal stool samples, especially in children below 10 years of age, elderly persons and immunocompromised patients.