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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1971 September; 22(3): 278-283
Copyright © 1971 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Characterization of an Unusual Strain of Proteus rettgeri Associated with an Outbreak of Nosocomial Urinary-Tract Infection

Department of Pathology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103
Department of Medicine, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103

ABSTRACT

An outbreak of nosocomial urinary-tract infection was caused by a strain of Proteus rettgeri that fermented lactose overnight and was resistant to all antimicrobial drugs tested. The nonmotile isolates shared an O (somatic) antigen that differed from those of wild-type P. rettgeri. The organisms proved markedly serum-sensitive. In rats, the isolates elicited an acute interstitial nephritis with associated transient bacteriuria. Attempts to transfer the lac⁺ trait and drug-resistance markers to recipient strains of Escherichia coli K-12 failed; exposure of the isolates to acridine orange yielded small numbers of non-lactose-fermenting variants which, however, were still as drug-resistant as before. Epidemiological studies failed to uncover the source of this unique strain and appeared to indicate exogenous spread of infection.