Gastric colonization by Campylobacter pylori subsp. mustelae in ferrets

Abstract

Campylobacter pylori subsp. mustelae was cultured from both normal and inflamed gastric mucosa of ferrets. Examination of neonatal, juvenile, and adult ferrets established that the gastric mucosa in the majority of preweanling (age, less than 6 weeks) ferrets sampled were not colonized with C. pylori subsp. mustelae, whereas the gastric mucosa of 100% of adult ferrets were colonized with this gastric organism. C. pylori subsp. mustelae was isolated from the gastric mucosa on a sequential basis from nine ferrets during a several-month period, inferring either persistent colonization or frequent reinfection with C. pylori subsp. mustelae.

Loss of urease activity in Helicobacter mustelae

“…H . mustelue is a species related to H. pylori but is isolated only from the gastric mucosa of ferrets (Fox et al 1988). It also has a highly active urease but with a lower PI, between 5.42 and 5.5 (Tompkins et a/.…”

Biology and Diseases of Ferrets

“…In 1985, a gastric Helicobacter-like organism was isolated from the margins of a duodenal ulcer of a ferret and named Helicobacter mustelae (Fox et al, 1986a(Fox et al, , 1989a. Subsequently, in the United States, gastritis and peptic ulcers have been routinely reported in ferrets colonized with H. mustelae (Fox et al, 1988b(Fox et al, , 1991a. Every ferret with chronic gastritis is infected with H. mustelae, whereas specific pathogen-free (SPF) ferrets not infected with H. mustelae do not have gastritis, gastric ulcers, or detectable IgG antibody to the organism (Fox et al, , 1991a.…”

“…It is now known that H. mustelae colonizes nearly 100% of ferrets shortly after weaning. Feces from weanling and adult ferrets have been screened for the presence of H. mustelae to determine whether fecal transmission could explain the 100% prevalence observed in weanling and older ferrets (Fox et al, 1988b(Fox et al, , 1992b. Helicobacter mustelae was isolated from the feces of 8 of 74 nine-week-old and 3 of 8 eight-month-old ferrets.…”

Cell envelope characteristics of Helicobacter pylori: their role in adherence to mucosal surfaces and virulence

“…since they may serve as useful models to study the pathogenic mechanism of H. pylori in humans. H. mustelae colonises the gastric mucosa of ferrets and is associated with gastritis and peptic ulcer disease [45,46]. Lee et al [47] isolated H. felis from the gastric tissue of cats.…”