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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 1998, p. 634-637, Vol. 36, No. 3
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Detection and Prevalence of Helicobacter
Infection in Pet Cats
R.
Neiger,1,*
C.
Dieterich,2
A.
Burnens,3
A.
Waldvogel,4
I.
Corthésy-Theulaz,2
F.
Halter,1
B.
Lauterburg,5 and
A.
Schmassmann1
Gastroenterology Unit1
and
Institute of Clinical Pharmacology,5
Inselspital, 3010 Bern,
Institutes of Veterinary
Bacteriology3 and
Veterinary
Pathology,4 University of Bern, 3012 Bern, and
Division of Gastroenterology, CHUV, University of Lausanne,
1011 Lausanne,2 Switzerland
Received 11 July 1997/Returned for modification 15 September
1997/Accepted 11 December 1997
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 by
Helicobacter 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.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Gastroenterology
Unit, Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland. Phone: 41 31 632 27 51. Fax: 41 31 632 97 65. E-mail:
rneiger{at}insel.ch.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 1998, p. 634-637, Vol. 36, No. 3
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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