Presence of Helicobacter and Campylobacter species in faecal samples from zoo mammals.

Helicobacter and Campylobacter species (spp.) colonize the gastrointestinal tract of various domesticated animals. Apart from their pathogenic significance in animals, several species are of zoonotic importance as well. For most non-domesticated animal spp., however, little is known on the presence and importance of these agents. Therefore, we investigated the presence of Helicobacter and Campylobacter spp. in marine and terrestrial zoo mammals. Faecal samples of various marine and terrestrial zoo mammals were collected from 6 different zoos in Belgium. These samples were tested for the presence of Helicobacter and Campylobacter spp. by isolation and direct demonstration of DNA using genus-specific PCRs, followed by sequencing of the obtained amplicons. Helicobacter spp. were detected in 12 and Campylobacter spp. in 5 of the 22 faecal samples from marine mammals. In 4 of 5 dolphins, H. cetorum was demonstrated, a well-known pathogen associated with gastritis and gastric ulceration in marine mammals. C. insulaenigrae was isolated from 4 of 6 sea lions and from 1 of 11 seals. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the presence of C. insulaenigrae on the European mainland. Helicobacter spp. were detected in 5 and Campylobacter spp. (mainly C. jejuni subsp. jejuni and C. coli) in 9 of the 26 faecal samples from terrestrial mammals. Potential novel enterohepatic Helicobacter spp. were detected in both marine and terrestrial zoo mammals. For the first time, the presence of several known and unknown Campylobacter and Helicobacter spp. was demonstrated in the gastrointestinal tract of various marine and terrestrial zoo mammals. Further investigation is needed on the pathogenic and zoonotic importance of these species.

A Potential New Human Pathogen Belonging to Helicobacter Genus, Identified in a Bloodstream Infection.

We isolated from aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles from a febrile patient, a Helicobacter-like Gram negative, rod-shaped bacterium that MALDI-TOF MS failed to identify. Blood agar cultures incubated in a microaerobic atmosphere revealed a motile Gram negative rod, which was oxidase, catalase, nitrate reductase, esterase, and alkaline phosphatase positive. It grew at 42°C with no detectable urease activity. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that the organism was susceptible to beta-lactams, gentamicin, erythromycin, and tetracycline but resistant to ciprofloxacin. Electronic microscopy analysis revealed a 3 × 0.5 µm curved rod bacterium harboring two sheathed amphitrichous flagella. Whole genome sequencing revealed a genome 1,708,265 base-pairs long with a GC content of 37.80% and a total of 1,697 coding sequences. The genomic analyses using the nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA gene, hsp60 and gyrB genes, as well as the GyrA protein sequence, and the results of Average Nucleotide Identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization suggest evidence for a novel Helicobacter species close to Helicobacter equorum and belonging to the group of enterohepatic Helicobacter species. As soon as the particular peptide mass fingerprint of this pathogen is added to the spectral databases, MALDI-TOF MS technology will improve its identification from clinical specimens, especially in case of "sterile infection". We propose to associate the present strain with the Latin name of the place of isolation; Caesarodunum (Tours, France) and suggest "Helicobacter caesarodunensis" for further description of this new bacterium.

First case report of bacteremia due to 'Campylobacter-like organism 3'.

A case of bacteremia caused by a rare Helicobacter species, Campylobacter-like organism 3 (CLO-3), in a 75-year-old man with prostate cancer and an indwelling urethral catheter for urinary retention, is reported. Oral levofloxacin (500mg per day) was effective, although the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing were unknown. Non-film-like, small, clear colonies were isolated on blood agar after 72h of microaerobic incubation at 37°C. Biochemical testing indicated that the isolates were catalase-positive, negative for nitrate reduction and urease activity, and positive for indoxyl acetate hydrolysis. The isolate was identified as CLO-3 by sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA and hsp60 genes. Although CLO-3 is known to cause enterocolitis, bacteremia due to CLO-3 has not been described. There have been an increasing number of reports of bacteremia caused by Helicobacter cinaedi and Helicobacter fennelliae, which were first reported as CLO-1 and CLO-2, and CLO-3 may represent another emerging cause of Helicobacter-induced bacteremia.

Immunodetection of Helicobacter sp. and the associated expression of ABO blood group antigens in the gastric mucosa of captive and free-living New World primates in the Amazon region

The histo-blood group ABH antigens were first described in humans. These antigens are only present on erythrocytes from great apes and humans, while in more primitive animals they are found in tissues and body fluids. The ABH antigens are mainly distributed in tissues exposed to the external environment and potentially serve as ligands for pathogens or inhibitors of tissue connections. The objective of this paper was two-fold: (i) to determine the presence of Helicobacter sp. in the gastric mucosa of 16 captive and 24 free-living New World monkeys and (ii) to evaluate the presence of histopathological alterations related to bacterial infection and the associated expression of ABH antigens in the tissue. Stomach tissues from 13 species of monkey were assessed using haematoxylin-eosin and modified Gram staining (Hucker) methods. An immunohistochemical analysis of the tissue revealed the presence of infectious bacteria that were characteristic of the genus Helicobacter sp. The results demonstrate that various species of monkey might be naturally infected with the Helicobacter sp. and that there is an increased susceptibility to infection. This study serves as a comparative analysis of infection between human and non-human primates and indicates the presence of a new species of Helicobacter.