High occurrence of Helicobacter pylori in raw goat, sheep and cow milk inferred by glmM gene: a risk of food-borne infection? Int J Food Microbiol. 2008;124:43-47. [PMID: 18372071 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2008.02.011]

Review of foodborne helicobacteriosis

Helicobacteriosis is a common bacterial infection caused by Helicobacter pylori. It affects the stomach and small intestines, leading to inflammation. Bacteria can spread through contaminated food or water. This review explores the role of food in the transmission of H. pylori, drawing on research from the past three decades. People commonly acquire the infection during childhood, often from close family members. Crowded living conditions can also contribute to the spread. This review also discusses various risk factors and highlights the challenges of detecting H. pylori, particularly in its dormant form. Techniques like ribotyping and restriction fragment length polymorphism hold promise for tracing transmission routes, but more long-term studies are needed to account for potential confounding factors.

Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles: An emerging antibacterial platform for pathogens of food animals

Bacterial pathogens of animals impact food production and human health globally. Food animals act as the major host reservoirs for pathogenic bacteria and thus are highly prone to suffer from several endemic infections such as pneumonia, sepsis, mastitis, and diarrhea, imposing a major health and economical loss. Moreover, the consumption of food products of infected animals is the main route by which human beings are exposed to zoonotic bacteria. Thus, there is excessive and undue administration of antibiotics to fight these virulent causative agents of food-borne illness, leading to emergence of resistant strains. Thus, highprevalence antibiotic-resistant resistant food-borne bacterial infections motivated the researchers to discover new alternative therapeutic strategies to eradicate resistant bacterial strains. One of the successful therapeutic approach for the treatment of animal infections, is the application of cell membrane-coated nanoparticles. Cell membranes of several different types of cells including platelets, red blood cells, neutrophils, cancer cells, and bacteria are being wrapped over the nanoparticles to prepare biocompatible nanoformulations. This diversity of cell membrane selection and together with the possibility of combining with an extensive range of nanoparticles, has opened a new opportunistic window for the development of more potentially effective, safe, and immune evading nanoformulations, as compared to conventionally used bare nanoparticle. This article will elaborately discuss the discovery and development of novel bioinspired cell membrane-coated nanoformulations against several pathogenic bacteria of food animals such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis, Campylobacter jejuni, Helicobacter pylori, and Group A Streptococcus and Group B Streptococcus.

Transmission routes and patterns of helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the stomach, can cause chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers, as well as gastric cancer as a Class I carcinogen. However, the modes of H. pylori transmission are not clear. This review aims to clarify the transmission routes and patterns of H. pylori and identify efficacious prevention measures.

METHODS

Studies of H. pylori transmission were identified using PubMed, the Web of Science, and Cochrane Central; the retrieval deadline was October 2022.

RESULTS

The transmission routes of H. pylori are discussed, focusing on the five primary transmission routes, namely fecal-oral, oral-oral, gastric-oral, anal-oral, and genital-oral. We propose that H. pylori is contracted through multiple transmission routes. Additionally, we summarize the key transmission patterns of H. pylori, including person-to-person and animal-to-human transmission, as well as foodborne and occupational exposure.

CONCLUSION

Fecal-oral appears to be the most common H. pylori transmission routes. Although the oral-oral pathway is also important, the evidence does not support that this route of transmission is universal. The gastric-oral route occurs primarily in children and patients who are prone to vomiting. Meanwhile, the anal-oral and genital-oral routes remain hypothetical. Person-to-person and foodborne infections represent the predominant transmission patterns of H. pylori, whereas strong environmental and occupational limitations are associated with animal-to-human and occupational exposure.

An investigative study on the zoonotic potential of Helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common bacterial infections and is widespread globally. It causes a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, though a great proportion of infections are asymptomatic. A total of 143 fresh stool samples were collected from apparently healthy farm and pet animals (43 cattle, 50 buffaloes, 50 sheep, 50 dogs, and 50 cats), in addition to 768 human stool samples. The samples were examined using stool antigen and rapid antibody tests, and further confirmation of glmM "human antigen-positive samples and animal milk samples" was conducted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

The prevalence rates of H. pylori infection in animals were 22.2% and 16% in antibody and stool antigen tests, respectively. The detection rates were 28%, 24%, 12%, 10%, and 4.7% in cats, dogs, buffaloes, sheep, and cattle, respectively. On the other hand, the prevalence rate of H. pylori infection in human stool samples was 74.8%, and a statistically significant association was observed between prevalence and several factors, such as sex, age, and locality. PCR was performed to detect the glmM gene of H. pylori, and this gene was found in 21 of 27 human antigen-positive samples and 5 of 13 animal milk samples.

CONCLUSIONS

H. pylori was detected in both human and animal samples. Furthermore, glmM was found in milk and human samples. Our findings suggest that pet and farm animals could transmit H. pylori infection to humans.

Milk and dairy products as a possible source of environmental transmission of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is found worldwide, and it is estimated that more than 50% of the population is infected. The presence of H. pylori in the gastrointestinal tract is associated with the occurrence of serious human diseases such as chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcer or gastric cancer. Therefore, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified H. pylori as a Group 1 carcinogen in 1994. The routes of H. pylori transmission are not yet precisely known. Many authors agree that humans may become infected by H. pylori through foodstuffs. Milk is one of the basic foods of people of all age categories. Helicobacter pylori has been isolated from milk derived from various livestock, such as cows, sheep, goat, camel or buffalo milk. This review research paper indicates that H. pylori may be present in different types of foods and suggests that consumption of milk and selected dairy products may be a source of H. pylori infection for humans.

Arcobacter Identification and Species Determination Using Raman Spectroscopy Combined with Neural Networks

Rapid and accurate identification of Arcobacter is of great importance because it is considered an emerging food- and waterborne pathogen and potential zoonotic agent. Raman spectroscopy can differentiate bacteria based on Raman scattering spectral patterns of whole cells in a fast, reagentless, and easy-to-use manner. We aimed to detect and discriminate Arcobacter bacteria at the species level using confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy (785 nm) coupled with neural networks. A total of 82 reference and field isolates of 18 Arcobacter species from clinical, environmental, and agri-food sources were included. We determined that the bacterial cultivation time and growth temperature did not significantly influence the Raman spectral reproducibility and discrimination capability. The genus Arcobacter could be successfully differentiated from the closely related genera Campylobacter and Helicobacter using principal-component analysis. For the identification of Arcobacter to the species level, an accuracy of 97.2% was achieved for all 18 Arcobacter species using Raman spectroscopy combined with a convolutional neural network (CNN). The predictive capability of Raman-CNN was further validated using an independent data set of 12 Arcobacter strains. Furthermore, a Raman spectroscopy-based fully connected artificial neural network (ANN) was constructed to determine the actual ratio of a specific Arcobacter species in a bacterial mixture ranging from 5% to 100% by biomass (regression coefficient >0.99). The application of both CNN and fully connected ANN improved the accuracy of Raman spectroscopy for bacterial species determination compared to the conventional chemometrics. This newly developed approach enables rapid identification and species determination of Arcobacter within an hour following cultivation.IMPORTANCE Rapid identification of bacterial pathogens is critical for developing an early warning system and performing epidemiological investigation. Arcobacter is an emerging foodborne pathogen and has become more important in recent decades. The incidence of Arcobacter species in the agro-ecosystem is probably underestimated mainly due to the limitation in the available detection and characterization techniques. Raman spectroscopy combined with machine learning can accurately identify Arcobacter at the species level in a rapid and reliable manner, providing a promising tool for epidemiological surveillance of this microbe in the agri-food chain. The knowledge elicited from this study has the potential to be used for routine bacterial screening and diagnostics by the government, food industry, and clinics.

Helicobacter pylori: Survival in cultivable and non-cultivable form in artificially contaminated Mytilus galloprovincialis

Several studies report the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in seawater either free or attached to planktonic organism. After considering the role played by plankton in the food chain of most aquatic ecosystems and the possible role that seafood products can assume in the transmission of H. pylori to humans, the aim of this study was to assess the survival of H. pylori in artificially contaminated Mytilus galloprovincialis (M. galloprovincialis). A traditional culture method and a reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) assay were employed to detect the mRNA of known virulence factor (VacA) which can be considered use a marker of bacterial viability. The obtained results clearly show that H. pylori is able to survive in artificially contaminated mussels for 6 days (2 days in a cultivable form and 4 days in a non-cultivable form).

Effects of starter feeding on caecal mucosal bacterial composition and expression of genes involved in immune and tight junctions in pre-weaned twin lambs

The objective of this study was to explore the effects of starter feeding on caecal mucosal bacterial composition and the expression of genes involved in immune and tight junctions in pre-weaned lambs. Six pairs of new-born twin lambs were selected. From 10 days of age, one lamb of each pair received ewe's milk only (M group, n = 6), while the other one was fed ewe's milk plus starter feed (M + S group, n = 6). At 56 days of age, the lambs were sacrificed, and then cecum digesta was collected to measure pH values and concentrations of volatile fatty acid (VFA), and caecal mucosa were collected to determine the changes in bacterial communities and the mRNA expression of cytokines, toll-like receptors (TLRs) and tight junction proteins. The results showed the body weight and average daily gain were not significantly different between both groups. Starter feeding significantly (P < 0.05) increased the concentrations of propionate and butyrate; the proportions of acetate, propionate and butyrate to total concentrations of VFA; and decreased the ratio of acetate to propionate in caecal contents. Principal coordinate analysis showed that samples from the M + S group could be distinguished from those from the M group; starter feeding also increased the diversity of caecal mucosal bacteria. At the genus level, starter feeding significantly (FDR < 0.05) increased the relative abundance of Alistipes, Parabacteroides, Parasutterella and Butyricimonas, and caused a decreasing trend (FDR < 0.10) in the relative abundance of Campylobacter and Helicobacter. The real-time PCR results showed that starter feeding significantly (FDR < 0.05) decreased the relative mRNA expression level of IL-12, TNF-α and TLR4 and increased the relative mRNA expression level of claudin-4. These results indicate that starter feeding altered caecal mucosal bacterial communities and decreased the expression of inflammatory factors, which may be beneficial in alleviating the weaning stress of lambs.

Helicobacter pylori Infection and Its Risk Factors: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study in Resource-Limited Settings of Northwest Ethiopia

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is implicated for the causation of gastrointestinal tract infections including gastric cancer. Although the infection is prevalent globally, the impact is immense in countries with poor environmental and socioeconomic status including Ethiopia. Epidemiological study on the magnitude of H. pylori and possible risk factors has priceless implication. Therefore, in this study, we determined the prevalence and risk factors of H. pylori infection in the resource-limited area of northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on northwest Ethiopia among 201 systematically selected dyspeptic patients. Data were collected using a structured and pretested questionnaire, and stool and serum samples were collected and analyzed by SD BIOLINE H. pylori Ag and dBest H. pylori Disk tests, respectively. Chi-square test was performed to see association between variables, and binary and multinomial regression tests were performed to identify potential risk factors. P values <0.05 were taken statistically significant.

Result

Prevalence of H. pylori was found to be 71.1% (143/201) and 37.3% (75/201) using the dBest H. pylori Test Disk and SD BIOLINE H. pylori Ag test, respectively. H. pylori seropositivity, using dBest H. pylori Disk tests, is significantly associated in age groups <10 years (P=0.044) and married patients (P=0.016). In those patients with H. pylori (a positive result with either the Ab or Ag test), drinking water from well sources had 2.23 times risk of getting H. pylori infection (P=0.017), and drinking coffee (1.51 (0.79–2.96, P=0.025)) and chat chewing (1.78 (1.02–3.46, P=0.008) are the common risk factors.

Conclusion

The present study discovered considerable magnitude of H. pylori among the dyspeptic patients in the study area. H. pylori infection is frequent in individuals drinking water from well sources, and thus, poor sanitation and unhygienic water supply are contributing factors. Policies aiming at improving the socioeconomic status will reduce potential sources of infection, transmission, and ultimately the prevalence and incidence of H. pylori.

Phenotypic analysis of antibiotic resistance and genotypic study of the vacA, cagA, iceA, oipA and babA genotypes of the Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from raw milk

Background

Foods with animal origins and particularly milk play a considerable role in transmission of Helicobacter pylori. The current study was performed to assess phenotypic characters of antibiotic resistance and genotyping pattern of vacA, cagA, iceA, oipA and babA2 alleles amongst the H. pylori strains isolated from raw milk.

Methods

Six-hundred and thirty raw milk samples were collected and cultured on Wilkins Chalgren anaerobe media. Antibiotic resistance and genotyping patterns were studied using disk diffusion and PCR, respectively.

Results

Sixty-seven out of 630 (10.63%) raw milk samples were positive for H. pylori. Ovine raw milk (17.27%) samples had the highest prevalence of H. pylori, while camel (5.00%) had the lowest. H. pylori strains harbored the highest prevalence of resistance against ampicillin (82.08%), tetracycline (76.11%), amoxicillin (74.62%), metronidazole (65.67%) and erythromycin (53.73%). Prevalence of resistance against more than 10 types of antibiotics was 17.91%. VacA s1a (83.58%), m1a (80.59%), s2 (77.61%) and m2 (68.65%), cagA (73.13%) and babA2 (44.77%) were the most commonly detected genotypes. We found that S1am1a (56.71%), s2m1a (56.71%), s1 am2 (43.28%) and s2 m2 (43.28%) were the most commonly detected genotyping pattern. Frequency of cagA-, oipA- and babA2- genotypes were 26.86%, 62.68% and 55.22%, respectively. We found that S1a/cagA+/iceA1/oipA-/babA2- (28.35%), m1a/cagA+/iceA1/oipA-/babA2- (28.35%) and s2/cagA+/iceA1/oipA-/babA2- (26.86%) were the most commonly detected combined genotyping pattern.

Conclusions

Simultaneous presence of vacA, cagA, iceA, oipA and babA2 genotypes in antibiotic resistant H. pylori strains indicates important public health issue regarding the consumption of raw milk. However, additional researches are required to find molecular genetic homology and other epidemiological aspects of H. pylori in milk.

Occurrence of cagA+ vacA s1a m1 i1 Helicobacter pylori in farm animals in Egypt and ability to survive in experimentally contaminated UHT milk

Cases of human gastric cancer due to Helicobacter pylori have been reported worldwide and animals might act as a reservoir of infection in certain circumstances. The recent few decades showed a rapid decline in the incidence of gastric cancer, which was mainly due to the decrease in H. pylori infection. The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of H. pylori among livestock and investigate whether the animal isolates can be transmitted through contaminated milk causing gastric infection. Feces and milk samples were collected from apparently healthy cows, buffaloes, and sheep, and were examined by nested PCR and genotyping. The PCR positive samples were further subjected to bacterial culture followed by partial 16s sequencing of the isolates. Twenty-nine percent of the animals showed the presence of H. pylori, mainly the virulent cagA+vacA+s1a m1 i1 genotype, which is known to be associated with serious diseases in humans. The spiral viable culturable form (SVCF) of this strain was inoculated into UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk and remained viable for up to 10 days at 4 °C. Increasing period of storage and or temperature led to a decrease in the number of the SVCF and occurrence of the coccoid viable non-culturable form (CVNCF). The infectivity of the survived forms was determined by feeding healthy groups of laboratory mice with the contaminated UHT milk containing SVCF or CVNCF for 40 days. The gastric mucosa of the two mice groups showed similar levels of H. pylori load. This highlights that H. pylori can persist in contaminated milk by entering a non-culturable state, which can induce gastric infection.

First-time serological and molecular detection of Helicobacter pylori in milk from Algerian local-breed cows

AIM

The present study was conducted to detect and identify Helicobacter pylori within local cow breeds in the central region of Algeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred (n=200) cows from three provinces of the central region of Algeria were studied, between January 2016 and September 2017. Each cow was subject to stool, milk, and blood sampling. Milk and fecal samples were used to detect and identify H. pylori using bacteriology culture method. Blood and milk samples were used to detect H. pylori immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the abundance of H. pylori in milk by detecting glmM gene.

RESULTS

Out of 200 sera and 200 milk samples, 12% (24) and 4% (8/200) were positive for the H. pylori IgG antibody. glmM gene was detected in the milk of 13% of cows and was confirmed in all cows presenting IgG in milk.

CONCLUSION

From the present study, we concluded that the glmM gene is an important marker for detecting H. pylori in milk. Moreover, Algerian local-breed cows are a source of H. pylori and could be responsible for serious zoonosis.

Helicobacter pylori: A foodborne pathogen?

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an organism that is widespread in the human population and is sometimes responsible for some of the most common chronic clinical disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract in humans, such as chronic-active gastritis, duodenal and gastric ulcer disease, low-grade B-cell mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the stomach, and gastric adenocarcinoma, which is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The routes of infection have not yet been firmly established, and different routes of transmission have been suggested, although the most commonly accepted hypothesis is that infection takes place through the faecal-oral route and that contaminated water and foods might play an important role in transmission of the microorganism to humans. Furthermore, several authors have considered H. pylori to be a foodborne pathogen because of some of its microbiological and epidemiological characteristics. H. pylori has been detected in drinking water, seawater, vegetables and foods of animal origin. H. pylori survives in complex foodstuffs such as milk, vegetables and ready-to-eat foods. This review article presents an overview of the present knowledge on the microbiological aspects in terms of phenotypic characteristics and growth requirements of H. pylori, focusing on the potential role that foodstuffs and water may play in the transmission of the pathogen to humans and the methods successfully used for the detection of this microorganism in foodstuffs and water.

Biofilm formation enhances Helicobacter pylori survivability in vegetables

To date, the exact route and mode of transmission of Helicobacter pylori remains elusive. The detection of H. pylori in food using molecular approaches has led us to postulate that the gastric pathogen may survive in the extragastric environment for an extended period. In this study, we show that H. pylori prolongs its survival by forming biofilm and micro-colonies on vegetables. The biofilm forming capability of H. pylori is both strain and vegetable dependent. H. pylori strains were classified into high and low biofilm formers based on their highest relative biofilm units (BU). High biofilm formers survived longer on vegetables compared to low biofilm formers. The bacteria survived better on cabbage compared to other vegetables tested. In addition, images captured on scanning electron and confocal laser scanning microscopes revealed that the bacteria were able to form biofilm and reside as micro-colonies on vegetable surfaces, strengthening the notion of possible survival of H. pylori on vegetables for an extended period of time. Taken together, the ability of H. pylori to form biofilm on vegetables (a common food source for human) potentially plays an important role in its survival, serving as a mode of transmission of H. pylori in the extragastric environment.

In vitro and in vivo bactericidal activity of Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. var. craveniana (S.Y.Hu) Lo and its main effective component, palmatine, against porcine Helicobacter pylori

Background

Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. var. craveniana (S.Y.Hu) Lo (TSG) is a traditional Chinese herb that has been used for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection and has anti-bacterial and anti-ulcer activity. Our study investigated the bactericidal effects of TSG and its major component, palmatine, against a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strain isolated from pig and the standard strain H. pylori SS1 in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

H. pylori was isolated from pig and named H. pylori SCYA201401. For in vitro experiments, the inhibitory activity of TSG and palmatine against H. pylori SCYA201401 and H. pylori SS1 were tested by use of the agar cup diffusion technique. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined from the absence of H. pylori colonies on agar plates. Time-kill curves were used to evaluate bactericidal activity; the average number of colonies was calculated at 0 to 48 h after liquid incubation, with concentrations of drugs at 0.5, 1, and 2 × MIC. For in vivo experiments, H. pylori SCYA201401-infected mice were randomly divided into TSG, palmatine, triple therapy (omeprazole, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin), blank control, and model groups. The eradication ratios were determined by use of rapid urease tests and bacterial culture.

Results

In vitro, the MIC and MBC of TSG against H. pylori SCYA201401 and SS1 were both 6250 μg/mL, whereas palmatine against H. pylori SCYA201401 was 6.25 μg/mL and against H. pylori SS1 was 3.12 μg/mL. The time-kill curves showed a dose-dependent, progressive decline in the numbers of viable bacteria up to 40 h. In vivo, the eradication ratios in the TSG and palmatine groups of mice were 80 and 50 % compared with 70 % in the triple-therapy group.

Conclusion

TSG and its major component, palmatine, have bactericidal activity against H. pylori in vitro and in vivo. The possibility that TSG or palmatine can be effective in the treatment of human and animals H. pylori infection deserves investigation.

vacA Genotype Status of Helicobacter pylori Isolated from Foods with Animal Origin

According to controversial theories and results of studies, foods with animal origins play an important role in the transmission of H. pylori to human. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of vacA genotypes of H. pylori, isolated from milk and meat samples of cow, sheep, goat, camel, and buffalo. Eight hundred and twenty raw milk and meat samples were collected from various parts of Iran. Samples were cultured and those found positive for H. pylori were analyzed for the presence of various genotypes of vacA gene. Out of 420 milk and 400 meat samples, 92 (21.90%) and 105 (26.25%) were positive for H. pylori, respectively. The most commonly detected genotypes in the vacA gene were s1a (86.80%), m1a (79.18%), s1b (69.54%), and m1b (63.45%) and detected combined genotypes were mostly m1as1a (68.52%), m1as1b (60.40%), m1bs1b (55.83%), and m1bs1a (53.29%). High presence of bacteria in the milk and meat samples of sheep represents that sheep may be the natural host of H. pylori. High presence of H. pylori strains in milk and meat samples similar to vacA genotypes in human being suggests that milk and meat samples could be the sources of bacteria for human.

VacA, cagA, iceA and oipA genotypes status and antimicrobial resistance properties of Helicobacter pylori isolated from various types of ready to eat foods

BACKGROUND

Despite the high clinical standing of Helicobacter pylori, its exact routes of transmission and origin have not been determined. Based on the contentious hypothesis, foods play an important roles in the transmission of H. pylori to humans. The present study was carried out to investigate the vacA, cagA, oipA and iceA genotypes status of H. pylori isolated from the various types of ready to eat foods.

METHODS

A total of 550 ready to eat food samples were cultured and tested. H. pylori-positive strains were analyzed for the presence of various genotypes and antimicrobial resistance pattern.

RESULTS

Seventy four out of 550 (13.45 %) samples were positive for H. pylori. Olvie salad (36 %), restaurant salad (30 %), fruit salad (28 %) and soup (22 %) were the most commonly contaminated. H. pylori strains harbored the highest levels of resistance against amoxicillin (94.59 %), ampicillin (93.24 %), metronidazole (89.18 %) and tetracycline (72.97 %). The most commonly detected genotypes were vacA s1a (78.37 %), vacA m2 (75.67 %), vacA m1a (51.35 %) and cagA (41.89 %). The prevalence of iceA1, iceA2 and oipA genotypes were 13.51, 4.05 and 18.91 %, respectively. S1am2 (70.27 %), s1am1a (39.18 %) and m1am2 (31.08 %) were the most commonly detected combined genotypes. Of 40 different genotypic combinations, s1a/cagA+/iceA1/oipA- (12.16 %), s1a/cagA+/iceA1/oipA+ (10.81 %) and s1a/cagA-/iceA1/oipA+ (10.81 %) were the most prevalent.

CONCLUSIONS

The present investigation showed that some types of ready to eat food samples maybe the sources of resistant and virulent strains of H. pylori. Warily use of antibiotics with respect to the results of disk diffusion method and careful health monitoring on food and staffs of food producing companies maybe reduce the risk of H. pylori in foods.

Evaluation of Clinicopathological and Risk Factors for Nonmalignant H. Pylori Associated Gastroduodenal Disorders in Iraqi Patients

AIM:

To determine the risk factors associated with H. pylori infection and possible correlation with clinicopathological parameters.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Gastroduodenal biopsies were examined by rapid urease test and Gram staining. Cag A cytotoxin was detected by in situ hybridization.

RESULTS:

Risk of H. pylori acquisition reported as following: Males have 1.38 fold, rural residents have 0.63 fold, Nonsmokers have 0.39 fold, mild smokers have 18 fold, and moderate smokers have 1.4 fold while heavy smokers have 1 fold. A person who’s in contact with animals has 1.52 fold risks. Illiterates and patients with primary education have 5.36 & 3 fold risk respectively. Patients under proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy have 1.02 fold. Patients under NSAID therapy have 3.48 fold while nonalcoholic Patients have 0.75 fold. Patients using tap water have 0.45 fold risk. H. pylori infection positively correlated with age, weight loss, and heartburn. H. pylori inversely correlated with endoscopic diagnosis, Cag A positivity, and education level. Cag A positivity correlated with animal contact and NSAID usage.

CONCLUSIONS:

Several life style factors, education, animal contact, using of PPI, and NSAIDs increase the risk of H. pylori infection. Weight loss and heartburn cardinal signs for H. pylori infection. Endoscopic diagnosis and clinicopathological parameters not strictly associated with Cag A positivity.

Detection of Helicobacter pylori glmM gene in bovine milk using Nested polymerase chain reaction

Aim:

The aim was to detect the glmM gene of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in cow’s milk from different dairy farms in Khartoum State using Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Materials and Methods:

A total of 50 milk samples were collected from different dairy farms in Khartoum State (13 from Khartoum, 24 Khartoum North, and 13 from Omdurman Provinces).

Results:

The generated results showed that 11/50 (22%) were harboring the investigated H. pylori glmM gene in Khartoum State (1/13 [7.7%] Khartoum, 9/24 [37.5%] Khartoum North, and 1/13 [7.7%] Omdurman provinces, respectively).

Conclusion:

To the best of our knowledge, this was the first report on the detection of H. pylori glmM gene in cattle milk in Khartoum State. Nonetheless, the high percentages of H. pylori DNA detection in milk opened new avenues toward exploring the risk of human infection with H. pylori through the consumption of raw milk.

[Role of animal gastric Helicobacter species in human gastric pathology]

Animal Helicobacter species other than Helicobacter pylori are also able to cause human gastritis, gastric ulcers, and MALT lymphomas. Animal Helicobacter species are presented with typical spiral fastidious microorganisms colonizing the gastric mucosa of different animals. Bacteria initially received their provisional name Helicobacter heilmannii, and out of them at least five species colonizing the gastric mucosa of pigs, cats, and dogs were isolated later on. A high proportion of these diseases are shown to be zoonotic. Transmission of pathogens occurs by contact. The factors of bacterial pathogenicity remain little studied.

Milk of livestock as a possible transmission route of Helicobacter pylori infection

AIM

The current investigation aimed to evaluate ruminant raw milk as a reservoir source of Helicobacter pylori and analyze the diversity of cagA and vacA genotypes as H. pylori virulence factors to find any relationship between these genotypes in human and animal H. pylori strains.

BACKGROUND

The way of transmission of Helicobacter pylori as one of the most controversial bacteria in the world, which colonizes the human gastric tissue and is responsible for several gastric diseases is still unknown. The possibility of zoonotic transmission of H. pylori is feasible, but is not proven in ruminant reservoirs.

METHODS

Overall 210 cows, sheep, goats, camels and buffalos' raw milk samples and 100 human gastric biopsies were collected in this survey. We applied PCR assays to identify H. pylori, vacA and cagA genes. Statistical tests were applied for data analysis.

RESULTS

Totally 12(16%) cow, 8(13.79%) sheep, 2 (4.76%) goat, 2(13.33%), buffalo 4(20%) and 82 (82%) of human specimens were confirmed to be H. pylori positive. Among which s1a/m2 genotype was more frequent in isolated H. pylori strains and statistically significant between strains. Based on statistical analyses the s1b allele of sheep had a significant association with human strains.

CONCLUSION

The current survey was prompted by our previous report. According to both results we can conclude that sheep may act as a reservoir for H. pylori and transmit this bacterium to human via its milk. Extended assessments in other geographical regions and other animals are recommended.

Helicobacteraceae in Bulk Tank Milk of Dairy Herds from Northern Italy

Helicobacter pylori is responsible for gastritis and gastric adenocarcinoma in humans, but the routes of transmission of this bacterium have not been clearly defined. Few studies led to supposing that H. pylori could be transmitted through raw milk, and no one investigated the presence of other Helicobacteraceae in milk. In the current work, the presence of Helicobacteraceae was investigated in the bulk tank milk of dairy cattle herds located in northern Italy both by direct plating onto H. pylori selective medium and by screening PCR for Helicobacteraceae, followed by specific PCRs for H. pylori, Wolinella spp., and “Candidatus Helicobacter bovis.” Three out of 163 bulk milk samples tested positive for Helicobacteraceae, but not for the subsequent PCRs. H. pylori was not isolated in any case. However, given similar growth conditions, Arcobacter butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii were recovered. In conclusion, the prevalence of Helicobacteraceae in raw milk was negligible (1.8%), and H. pylori was not identified in any of the positive samples, suggesting that, at least in the farming conditions of the investigated area, bovine milk does not represent a potential source of infection.

Virulence factors and antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori isolated from raw milk and unpasteurized dairy products in Iran

BACKGROUND

Despite the high importance of Helicobacter pylori, the origin and transmission of this bacterium has not been clearly determined. According to controversial theories and results of previous studies, animal source foods - especially milk - play an important role in the transmission of H. pylori to humans. The aim of the present study was to determine the distribution of vacA, cagA, iceA and oipA virulence factors in H. pylori strains isolated from milk and dairy products and study their antimicrobial resistance properties.

METHODS

A total of 520 raw milk and 400 traditional dairy product samples were cultured and tested. Those that were H. pylori-positive were analyzed for the presence of vacA, cagA, iceA and oipA virulence factors. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the disk diffusion method.

RESULTS

One hundred and three out of 520 milk samples (19.8%) and 77 out of 400 dairy products samples (19.2%) were contaminated with H. pylori. The most frequently contaminated samples were ovine milk (35%) and traditional cheese (30%). Total prevalence of vacA, cagA, iceA and oipA factors were 75%, 76.6%, 41.6% and 25%, respectively. H. pylori strains of milk and dairy products harbored high levels of resistance to ampicillin (84.4%), tetracycline (76.6%), erythromycin (70.5%) and metronidazole (70%).

CONCLUSIONS

High presence of antibiotic-resistant strains of H. pylori suggest that milk and dairy samples may be the sources of bacteria that can cause severe infection. Our findings should raise awareness about antibiotic resistance in H. pylori strains in Iran.

Study of Helicobacter pylori genotype status in cows, sheep, goats and human beings

Background

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most controversial bacteria in the world causing diverse gastrointestinal diseases. The transmission way of this bacterium still remains unknown. The possibility of zoonotic transmission of H. pylori has been suggested, but is not proven in nonprimate reservoirs. In the current survey, we investigate the presence of H. pylori in cow, sheep and goat stomach, determine the bacterium virulence factors and finally compare the human H. pylori virulence factors and animals in order to examine whether H. pylori might be transmitted from these animals to human beings.

Methods

This cross- sectional study was performed on 800 gastric biopsy specimens of cows, sheep, goats and human beings. The PCR assays was performed to detection of H. pylori, vacA and cagA genes. The PCR products of Ruminant’s samples with positive H. pylori were subjected to DNA sequencing analysis. Statistical tests were applied for data analysis.

Results

Overall 6 (3%) cows, 32 (16%) sheep and 164 (82%) human beings specimens were confirmed to be H. pylori positive; however we were not able to detect this bacterium in all 200 goat samples. The vacA s1a/m1a was the predominant H. pylori genotype in all three kinds of studied population. There was 3.4–8.4% variability and 92.9-98.5% homology between sheep and human samples.

Conclusions

Considering the high sequence homology among DNA of H. pylori isolated from sheep and human, our data suggest that sheep may act as a reservoir for H. pylori and in the some extent share the ancestral host for the bacteria with human.

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in city water, dental units' water, and bottled mineral water in Isfahan, Iran

Helicobacter pylori infection in human is one of the most common infections worldwide. However, the origin and transmission of this bacterium has not been clearly explained. One of the suggested theories is transmission via water. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence rate of H. pylori in tap water, dental units' water, and bottled mineral water in Iran. In the present study, totally 200 water samples were collected in Isfahan province and tested for H. pylori by cultural method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by the detection of the ureC (glmM) gene. Using cultural method totally 5 cultures were positive. Two out of 50 tap water samples (4%), 2 out of 35 dental units' water (5.8%) samples, and 1 out of 40 (2.5%) from water cooler in public places were found to be contaminated with H. pylori. H. pylori ureC gene was detected in 14 (7%) of water samples including 5 tap water (10%), 4 dental units' water (11.4%), 1 refrigerated water with filtration, and 4 (10%) water cooler in public places samples. This may be due to the coccoid form of bacteria which is detected by PCR method.

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in raw bovine milk by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)

The transmission pathways of Helicobacter pylori in humans have not been fully elucidated. Research in the last decade has proposed that foodborne transmission, among others, may be a plausible route of human infection. Owing to the organism's fastidious growth characteristics and its ability to convert to viable, yet unculturable states upon exposure to stress conditions, the detection of H. pylori in foods via culture-dependent methods has been proven to be laborious, difficult and in most cases unsuccessful. Hence, nucleic acid-based methods have been proposed as alternative methods but, to date, only PCR-based methods have been reported in the literature. In the current study, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used for the detection of H. pylori in raw, bulk-tank bovine milk. After repeated milk centrifugation and washing steps, the bacterial flora of raw milk was subjected to fixation and permeabilization and H. pylori detection was conducted by FISH after hybridization with an H. pylori-specific 16S rRNA-directed fluorescent oligonucleotide probe. Using this protocol, H. pylori was detected in four out of the twenty (20%) raw milk samples examined. The data presented in this manuscript indicate that FISH can serve as an alternative molecular method for screening raw bovine milk for the presence of H. pylori.

Transmission pathway of Helicobacter pylori: does food play a role in rural and urban areas?

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium that has colonized the human gastric mucosa. This infection is very common and affects more than half of the human population. The prevalence is however unbalanced between rural developing areas (more than 80%) and urban developed areas (less than 40%). H. pylori is responsible for several pathologies, such as gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer but its transmission pathway is still not clear. The risk factors for H. pylori infection include poor social and economic development; poor hygienic practices; absence of hygienic drinking water; and unsanitary prepared food. There is evidence supporting a gastro-oral, oral-oral and faecal-oral transmission, but no predominant mechanism of transmission has been yet identified. Transmission may occur in a vertical mode (e.g. from parents to child) or in a horizontal mode (across individuals or from environmental contamination). In either case, the involvement of water and food cannot be excluded as vehicles or sources of infection. Indirect evidence of presence of H. pylori in water and food, namely the detection of its DNA and survival studies after artificial contamination of food and water has been described. This paper reviews data both favourable and against the role of water and food in the transmission of H. pylori, exploring their role as a potential transmission vehicle for person-to-person and food-chain transmission. The likelihood of the transmission pathway in developing rural and developed urban areas appears to be different. In developed areas, person-to-person transmission within families appears to be dominant, while in the rural developing areas the transmission pathway appears to be more complex. In this later case, the transmission by contaminated food, water, or via intensive contact between infants and non-parental caretakers may have a greater influence than within-family transmission.

The epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori and public health implications

This article presents a review of the literature on the epidemiology and public health implications of Helicobacter pylori infection published from April 2008 through to March 2009. The authors used MeSH terms "Helicobacter infections epidemiology,""Helicobacter infections prevention and control" to search multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Cochrane Library, EBMR, BIOSIS), and independently searched PubMed using the term "Helicobacter" with "Epidemiology,""Transmission,""Prevalence" or "Environment." Articles without topical relevance were excluded. Two additional papers known to the authors were added. The identified literature is summarized by subtopic: reviews; prevalence; incidence; transmission; risk factors; and public health policy.