Proteus
.Proteus, or Proteus spp, most commonly causes urinary tract infections in humans.
This applies more to Enterobacteriaceae, the protea bacteria.
Proteus Enterobacteriaceae are very motile Gram-negative aerobic bacilli that tend to break down urea to ammonia on good nutrient media, but grow very poorly in acidic media.
Like other representatives of Enterobacteriaceae, Proteus provokes the development of disease only when they leave the digestive tract - the place of their usual habitat.
There are several ways in which the proteus bacteria can be transmitted: hospital-acquired infection, sexual transmission of the bacteria, and malicious disregard for personal hygiene.
Proteus is often found in sepsis, chronic inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary tract, pneumonia, debilitated hospital patients and persons receiving drugs intravenously.
Proteus mirabilis ranks first in the frequency of infections, with Proteus rettgeri and Proteus morganii slightly behind.
In rare cases, Proteus vulgaris is detected during bacteriologic examination.
The presence of Proteus bacteria is determined by staining samples with silver salts, where the flagella of the microbes, which provide their mobility, become visible.
As for the harmful effects of Proteus on the human urogenital tract, the enzyme urease, which breaks down urea to ammonia, contributes to the formation of phosphate stones in the kidneys.
Ammonia in general is very toxic: it causes necrosis of renal tissues and can contribute to the formation of microscopic pustules.
Local immunity in this case is reduced, and harmful microorganisms get the opportunity to freely parasitize on renal tissue.
That is why proteus bacteria are often found in calculous pyelonephritis - purulent inflammation of the renal pelvis with simultaneous formation of stones.
Proteus occurs in congenital kidney defects as well as after surgical interventions.
In the latter two cases, the protea family is represented by several species, which are found in the urine.
They are the ones that complicate the course of any urinary tract infections.
Traditionally, diseases caused by proteas have been treated with antibiotics.
In this case, it is necessary to take into account the sensitivity of bacteria to drugs of the applied group.
E. coli
Escherichia coli belongs to the so-called facultative anaerobes.
It is a gram-negative bacterium of the genus Escherichia, family Enterobacteriaceae, and its main habitat is the intestines of humans and animals.
Escherichia coli is very mobile, it does not form spores.
This bacterium was first isolated and described by T.
Escherich in 1885.
Some of the strains of E. coli help us process food, while others are parasitic, causing disease not only in humans but also in animals.
Useful E. coli are very easily destroyed by long term use of potent antibiotics.
In such a case, dysbacteriosis develops.
In addition, the non-pathogenic species of these bacteria are themselves antagonists of many pathogenic microbes.
As for pathogenic microorganisms, such strains of E. coli cause colibacillosis in humans.
E. coli is found in soil, on plants and in water.
Because of its wide distribution, it is often used in molecular genetic and microbiological studies.
Escherichia coli, which a person constantly excretes from the intestines when not following basic rules of personal hygiene, can contaminate the skin of the genitals and perineum.
Then under certain circumstances, such as diabetes mellitus or maceration of the skin in this area, E. coli begins to multiply, infiltrates the epidermis, or gets into the urethra, which leads to the development of acute inflammatory diseases - cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis and so on.
In addition, E. coli from the skin can penetrate deep into the tissue layers when the skin or mucosa is injured.
Often E. coli enter the genitourinary tract at the same time as chlamydia, gonococci, mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas and viruses as a result of unprotected sexual contact.
This kind of mixed infection is difficult to treat.
