Detection and Prevalence of Helicobacter Infection in Pet Cats

Abstract

The presence of spiral bacteria in the feline stomach has been recognized for over a century, but the identities and degrees of prevalence of such organisms in privately owned cats are still poorly documented. The aims of this study were (i) to adapt different diagnostic tools and evaluate their practicality for diagnosing feline gastric Helicobacter colonization, (ii) to determine the prevalence of gastric Helicobacter-like organisms in pet cats, (iii) to identify the feline species, and (iv) to correlate the presence of a Helicobacter infection with gastritis. Biopsy samples were taken gastroscopically from the antra and the corpora of clinically healthy pet cats. Helicobacter-like organisms were detected by Gram staining, Warthin-Starry staining, and rapid urease testing in biopsy specimens and by [13C]urea breath testing in 79, 77, 78, and 85% of cases, respectively. PCR analysis revealed that 78% of the cats (38 of 49) were infected byHelicobacter heilmannii; however, none of them was harboring Helicobacter pylori or Helicobacter felis. Culture was positive for one cat; the organism was identified as Helicobacter pametensis by dot blot DNA hybridization. By a combination of the detection methods, 91% of the pet cats were found to be Helicobacter positive. For 46 cats (79%) diagnostic tests were concordant. All cats showed mild to moderate gastritis in either the antrum or the corpus, regardless of the presence or density of gastric bacteria. In summary, pet cats are frequently colonized by H. heilmannii without a significant correlation between infection and degree of gastritis.

Distinction of Gastric Helicobacter spp. in Humans and Domestic Pets by Scanning Electron Microscopy

“…Because H. heilmannii is not cultivable, we used mice originally infected with material from an H. heilmannii -positive cat. Based on species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, the infectious agent had been identified as H. heilmanni [8], and the mice were regularly tested to confirm the presence of H. heilmannii and to exclude the simultaneous presence of other Helicobacter spp. After unsuccessful attempts to colonize mice with H. salomonis (CCUG 37845), the animals were pretreated with omeprazole 30 minutes prior to inoculating the bacterial suspension.…”

“…from domestic pets to humans, and their potential pathological role in cats and dogs [3]. Current research has led so far to the identification of Helicobacter felis , H. bizzozeronii , H. salomonis , Flexispira rappini (also called Helicobacter rappini ) and H. heilmannii in the stomach of dogs and cats [4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

Association of Helicobacter with Cholangiohepatitis in Cats

“…These results are consistent with gastric Helicobacter spp. present in the stomachs of cats, many of which are coinfected with several different species [24][25][26] and serve to validate the extraction and amplification techniques used to examine formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues. PCR amplification of liver samples with Helicobacter-genus specific primers was positive in 2/32 cases with cholangiohepatitis, 1/13 cases with noninflammatory histology, and 0/4 cases with normal histology.…”

Quantitative Analysis of Inflammatory and Immune Responses in Dogs with Gastritis and Their Relationship to Helicobacter spp. Infection

“…37 PCR for Helicobacter species was performed as previously described. [38][39][40] Briefly, DNA extracted from gastric biopsy samples by using the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit d were evaluated by PCR with Helicobacter genus-specific primers C97 and C05 ( 38 Positive samples were further analyzed with species-specific primers that amplify ureB of H felis, H heilmannii, H pylori, and H bizzozeronii ( Table 2). The PCR cycle was 94ЊC for denaturation followed by the annealing at 55-59ЊC, extension at 72ЊC for 1 minute per kilobase of product, and a final extension of 72ЊC for 10 minutes for 33-40 cycles.…”