Canis ISSN: 2398-2942
Proteus spp
Synonym(s): P. mirabilis, P. vulgaris
Contributor(s): Richard Walker
Introduction
Classification
Taxonomy
- Family: Enterobacteriaceae.
- Genus: Proteus.
Etymology
- Gk: Proteus - an ocean god able to change himself into different shapes.
- Lat: mirabilis - wonderful; vulgaris - common.
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Clinical Effects
Epidemiology
Habitat
- Part of normal flora of gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts, and skin.
Lifecycle
- Multiplies by binary fission.
- May undergo conjugation with other Enterobacteriaceae, with transfer of plasmids.
Transmission
- Endogenous or exogenous infections.
Pathological effects
- Compromise of immune system → opportunistic infections.
- Trauma → opportunistic infection → pathogenic.
Diseases
- Urinary tract infection Cystitis - dogs, cats and horses. Also found in urine of healthy horses.
- Infections of genital tract, eg epididymitis Orchitis / epididymitis - horses.
- Otitis externa Skin: otitis externa - dogs and cats, often as a component of mixed infections.
- Occasionally isolated from cases of respiratory tract disease - horses.
- More common in foals.
Other Host Effects
- Part of normal gastrointestinal flora.
- Part of normal skin flora in some dogs and cats.
- Part of normal flora of urogenital tract in some horses.
Control
Control via chemotherapies
Susceptibility
- To a range of antibiotics, including beta-lactams, potentiated sulfonamides and cephalosporins.
- Equine isolates more typically susceptible to amikacin Amikacin than gentamicin Gentamicin.
Resistance
- A problem, as with all enterobacteria.
Vaccination
Diagnosis
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from VetMedResource and PubMed.
- Kiss G, Radvanyi S & Szigeti G (1997) New combination for the therapy of canine otitis externa I. Microbiology of otitis externa. JSAP 38(2), 51-56.
- Gaastra W, van Oosterom R A, Pieters E W et al (1996) Isolation and characterisation of dog uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis strains. Vet Microbiol 48(1-2), 57-71.
- Bijlsma I G, van Dijk L, Kusters J G & Gaastra W (1995) Nucleotide sequences of two fimbrial major subunit genes, pmpA and ucaA, from canine-uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis strains. Microbiol 141(6), 1349-1357.