Bacteriogical & Serological Studies On Genus Proteus In Laboratory Animals & Its Relations To Epidemic Typfus Organism

Examination of 660 Laborator-y animals from the following species; rats, chickens, mice, rabbits, hamesters and guinea-pigs (110 each) revealed 423 animals (64.1%) harbouring proteus organisms. The examined 1010 samples showed 437 positive Ones with the rand urine samples, 30 samples were positive (7.3%). The investigation revealed the isolation of 511 proteus isolates; 481 from faecal samples and 30 strains from internal organs and urine. These isolates were differentiated biOchemically into 338 strains Pr. vulgaris constituted the most prevalent proteusspecies. It was most frequently present in rabbits (22.5%),m ice (18.2%), chickens (12.5%), rats (8.2%) and lesser in hamesters (4.7%) while it was not recovered from guinea-pigs Pr.vulgaris was differentiated biochemically into 2 biot;ypes; I citrate neg