Helicobacter pylori and Helicobacter felis are two of the Helicobacter spp. that infect humans. H. pylori has been linked to significant gastric pathology. Coinfection with Helicobacter spp. may influence infectious burden, pathogenesis, and antibiotic resistance; however, this has not been studied. The aims of this study were to identify the incidence of H. felis and to analyze the effects of coinfection with both organisms on gastric pathology in a well-characterized South African population. Biopsy samples from the gastric corpora and antra of volunteers (n ‫؍‬ 90) were subjected to histological examination and PCR for the identification of H. pylori and H. felis. We further investigated the effect of global strain type on the occurrence of precursor lesions by assigning nucleotide sequences derived from PCR amplification of three genes to global groupings (ancestral Africa1, ancestral Africa2, ancestral Europe, ancestral Asia, and mixed). H. pylori was detected in 75 (83.3%), H. felis in 23 (25.6%), and coinfection in 21 (23.3%) of the volunteers by PCR. H. felis was randomly distributed among adults and children but clustered within families, suggesting intrafamilial transmission. Analysis of histopathology scores revealed no differences in atrophy, activity, and helicobacter density between H. felispositive and H. felis-negative volunteers. H. pylori substrains common to southern Africa showed no differences in inflammation or atrophy scores. The incidences of H. felis and coinfection with H. pylori in the African population are high. H. felis infection, however, does not influence specific gastric pathology in this population.

Osteoporosis caused by portasystemic shunting may be partially ameliorated by rapamycin in the rat model of hepatic osteodystrophy.

A woman's right to a safe legal abortion in South Africa conflicts with a health care professional's freedom of conscience. Conscientious objection or treatment refusal on the basis of conscience may be protected by the constitution but its morality has not been explored. This study uses Kantian Deontology to elucidate the ethical duties of health care professionals based on the Physician's Pledge. It concludes that conscience is morally empty and that health care professionals have a duty to treat all patients equally irrespective of the condition they present. Drawing on Kantian promise keeping, the study also concludes that health care professionals should place patients health and wellbeing above all other considerations. Using the categorical imperative, the study shows that health care professionals have a perfect duty not to refuse treatment. The study recommends that conscientious objection be rejected in all circumstances except where the psychological wellbeing of the health care professional will be affected. This can be achieved through legislative and professional body regulation of conscientious objection.