A gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium found in fecal matter, sewage, and soil. It frequently causes cystitis and pyelonephritis and is linked to eye and ear infections, pleuritis, peritonitis, and suppurative abscesses. This species has various serotypes and interacts with antibodies produced in rickettsial infections. It is used in the Weil-Felix reaction for diagnosing typhus, scrub typhus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.