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. 1971 Sep;22(3):278–283. doi: 10.1128/am.22.3.278-283.1971

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

W H Traub 1,2, M E Craddock 1,2, E A Raymond 1,2, M Fox 1,2, C E McCall 1,2
PMCID: PMC376299  PMID: 4940869

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.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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