Studies on Proteus bacilli agglutinable by the Shigella antisera. (1st Report)

Abstract

Twenty five strains of Proteus bacilli were isolated from the feces of healty young pupils (1960 persons) in Otsu-city, Shiga prefecture, and their cultural, morphological and biological properties were studied.
These 25 strains were divided into five groups as follows:
1 Proteus mirabilis 52% (13 strains)
2 Proteus morganii 28% ( 7 strains)
3 Proteus rettgeri 8% ( 2 strains)
4 Proteus vulgaris 4% ( 1 strain)
5 unclassified 8% ( 2 strains)
Three strains of them were agglutinated by Komagome 111 serum. Two of these 3strains (No.37 and No.102) lost its agglutinability in a short period when they were being subcultured, and one strain (No.56) preserves its agglutinability.
One of the two that lost its agglutinability belongs to Proteus mirabilis and the other to P. morganii. The one that kept its agglutinability belongs to P. vulgaris.