ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF DOG UROPATHOGENIC PROTEUS-MIRABILISSTRAINS

Proteus mirabilis strains isolated from the urine of dogs with urinary tract infections, were characterised with respect to the production o f haemolysin and fimbriae. In contrast to healthy dogs, P. mirabilis w as also isolated in high numbers from the faeces of dogs suffering fro m recurrent urinary tract infections. Production of fimbriae was demon strated by electron microscopy and the presence of genes for two diffe rent types of major fimbrial subunits (MR/P-like or UCA-like) was demo nstrated by Southern hybridisation. These genes were absent in the Pro teus vulgaris, Providentia rettgeri and Morganella morganii strains te sted. All but one P. mirabilis strains were haemolytic and most strain s produced fimbriae albeit in different amounts. The UCA fimbrial subu nits from dog and human isolates have identical molecular weights and N-terminal sequences and are immunologically cross reactive. It was co ncluded that dog uropathogenic P. mirabilis strains are very similar t o human uropathogenic P. mirabilis strains.