An outbreak of nosocomial Proteus rettgeri urinary tract infection

Between December 1, 1971, and November 30, 1972, 11 patients on a single physical rehabilitation ward in a large St. Louis, Missouri, community hospital developed Proteus rettgeri urinary tract infections; P. rettgeri isolates from each patient were indole-negative and resistant in vitro to all antibiotics tested. Infected patients were more likely to have indwelling urinary tract catheters than were matched control patients, and all had previously received systemic antibiotic therapy. Retrospective epidemiologic investigation and microbiologic samplig at the time of the investigation failed to detect a common source of infection. Infected patients appeared to be the major reservoir of the epidemic strain, and indirect-contact transmission of the organism via nursing personnel probably occurred. Data collected from a prospective study suggested that placing catheterized patients in rooms that did not contain other catheterized patients may be an effective control measure.