Culture Method and PCR for the Detection ofHelicobacter pyloriin Drinking Water in Basrah Governorate Iraq

Abstract

<jats:p><jats:italic>Helicobacter pylori</jats:italic>is recognized by the World Health Organization to be the primary cause of peptic ulcers, chronic gastritis, and stomach cancer, though the source of human infection is not well understood. One of the problems in understanding the source of human contamination is the difficulty in isolating the organism from the environment. However, the combination of PCR results with those of culturing of 471 drinking water samples can provide a more accurate picture of<jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic>detection. In this method 78 presumptive<jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic>colonies out of 266 tap water samples were obtained in the preliminary detection on modified Columbia agar (MCUA) slant relying on urease positivity with a rate of 29.3%. However, only 11 out of them were confirmed by Gram staining and biochemical tests reducing the rate to 4.13% whereas only 3 (1.46%) from 205 reverse osmosis (RO) water samples. Furthermore, only 6 (54.5%) out of the 11 isolates from tap water and 1 (33.3%) of the 3 RO isolates were confirmed by 16SrRNA PCR. Thus PCR confirmation reduced the rate to 2.2%. In addition, only 4 (4%) of 100 tap water samples negative for<jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic>by culture method were<jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic>positive by 16SrRNA. Water samples were collected from 24 districts of Basrah Governorate from February–December 2009. The direct recovery of<jats:italic>H. pylori</jats:italic>from drinking water is both alarming and scientifically exciting in terms of the investigation of its epidemiology.</jats:p>

An assessment of drinking water contamination with Helicobacter pylori in Lima, Peru

“…Investigations in Peru, 5,26 Sweden, 46 Pakistan, 47 Iraq, 19 Iran, 22,48 Costa Rica, 23 and Spain 37 have shown contamination of drinking water with H. pylori using PCR, culture, and microscopy techniques such as fluorescent in situ hybridization. In contrast, studies in Bangladesh 40 and Japan 49 failed to detect H. pylori in treated drinking water, although the study in Japan and a further study in Scandinavia detected H. pylori via PCR in untreated well water used as drinking water.…”

“…6,7,[10][11][12][13][14][15] H. pylori rapidly changes morphology from a spiral bacillus to a coccoid form in water, entering a viable but not culturable (VBNC) state that makes it challenging to culture and renders cultivation techniques an inadequate stand-alone way of detecting H. pylori in water. [19][20][21][22][23] In addition, H. pylori has been reliably detected in recreational and drinking water using molecular biology techniques such as PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization, 5,16,17,[24][25][26] and has been shown to survive in water distribution systems, likely through protection from biofilms. [19][20][21][22][23] In addition, H. pylori has been reliably detected in recreational and drinking water using molecular biology techniques such as PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization, 5,16,17,[24][25][26] and has been shown to survive in water distribution systems, likely through protection from biofilms.…”

“…[16][17][18] Recently, however, five independent studies have isolated and cultured H. pylori in wastewater and drinking water. [19][20][21][22][23] In addition, H. pylori has been reliably detected in recreational and drinking water using molecular biology techniques such as PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization, 5,16,17,[24][25][26] and has been shown to survive in water distribution systems, likely through protection from biofilms. 27,28 Further, H. pylori may be able to better survive in the presence of certain freshwater amebae 29 and marine zooplankton, 30 suggesting another route of survival in water.…”

Detection of viable Helicobacter pylori inside free‐living amoebae in wastewater and drinking water samples from Eastern Spain

“…Nowadays, there are an increasing number of studies that confirm the presence of H. pylori in water, suggesting that this microorganism is waterborne. However, only a few of them have demonstrated its presence in a viable and cultivable state (Al-Sulami et al, 2012;Moreno and Ferr us, 2012;Tirodimos et al, 2014;Santiago et al, 2015;Ranjbar et al, 2016).…”

Correlation among fecal indicator bacteria and physicochemical parameters with the presence of Helicobacter pylori DNA in raw and drinking water from Bogotá, Colombia

“…12,18 Recently, different independent studies have isolated and cultured H pylori from wastewater and drinking water. 5,16,17,19,20 In addition, H pylori has been reliably detected in diverse water sources, such as rivers, lakes, drinking water, municipal, and residual waters, among others, by using molecular biology techniques such as PCR, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and fluorescent in situ hybridization. 17,[21][22][23][24][25] Detecting a waterborne pathogen is difficult, and thus, standard methods are directed to detect nonpathogenic organisms commonly found in human feces.…”