The organism is commonly found in soil and is known to contaminate water and aqueous solutions including alkaline disinfectants. It is of comparatively low virulence and has been found frequently in suppurative processes in domestic animals. It also causes severe epidemics of respiratory disease in mink and chinchillas, and green wool condition in sheep. It produces a pyocyanin pigment, which is bluish green and oxidizes to brown. The organism produces lecithinase and protease, which appear to be responsible for edema and induration of the skin and for the hemorrhagic and necrotizing skin lesions.
Rabbits are less susceptible to experimental infection than guinea pigs.
Gram stains performed at the AFIP demonstrated large numbers of Gram negative bacilli within the superficial epidermis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa in rabbit fur. This animal originated from a colony of guinea pigs held at the department of food hygiene of the Leipzig University. No clinical signs were observed. The animal died unexpectedly after having been experimentally infected with Trichinella spiralis six weeks earlier.