Proteus Mirabilis Essay -- Biology Medican Medicine Essays

Proteus Mirabilis Life History: Proteus mirabilis is part of the normal flora of the human gastrointestinal tract. It can also be found free living in water and soil. When this organism, however, enters the urinary tract, wounds, or the lungs it can become pathogenic. Proteus mirabilis commonly causes urinary tract infections and the formation of stones. Microbiological Characteristics: Proteus mirabilis is part of the Enterobacteriaceae family. It is a small gram-negative bacillus and a facultative anaerobe. Proteus mirabilis is characterized by its swarming motility, its ability to ferment maltose, and its inability to ferment lactose. P. mirabilis has the ability to elongate itself and secrete a polysaccharide when in contact with solid surfaces, making it extremely motile on items such as medical equipment. Disease: The most common infection involving Proteus mirabilis occurs when the bacteria moves to the urethra and urinary bladder. Although Proteus mirabilis mostly known to cause urinary tract infections, the majority of urinary tract infections are due to E. coli. One-hundred thousand cfus per milliliter in the urine are usually indicative of a urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infections caused by P. mirabilis occur usually in patients under long-term catherization. The bacteria have been found to move and create encrustations on the urinary catheters. The encrustations cause the catheter to block. Symptoms for urethritis are mild including frequency of urination and pyuria (presence of white blob cells in the urine). Cystitis (bladder infection) symptoms are easier to distinguish and include back pain, concentrated appearance, urgency, hematuria (presence of red blood cells in the urine), a... ...d ciprofloxin. In cases with severe stone formation, surgery is necessary to remove the blockage. Proteus mirabilis is part of the normal flora of the gastrointestinal tract, and as a result the bacteria enters the urinary tract or infects medical equipment by the fecal route. Consequently, prevention includes good sanitation and hygiene, including proper sterilization of medical equipment. It is also suggested that patients not requiring catherization should not receive catherization, despite its convenience for the caretaker. Sources Cited: http://www.cdc.gov http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1929.htm http://bact.wisc.edu:81/ScienceEd/stories/storyReader$108 http://www.microbelibrary.org/FactSheet.asp http://gsbs.utmb.edu/microbook/ch026.htm file://C:DOCUME~1BobLOCALS~1TempAM8EQCBC.html http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/37/9/2840