Presence of Helicobacter pylori and H. suis DNA in Free-Range Wild Boars

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative bacterium that infects half of the human population worldwide, causing gastric disorders, such as chronic gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, and gastric malignancies. Helicobacter suis (H. suis) is mainly associated with pigs, but can also colonize the stomach of humans, resulting in gastric pathologies. In pigs, H. suis can induce gastritis and seems to play a role in gastric ulcer disease, seriously affecting animal production and welfare. Since close interactions between domestic animals, wildlife, and humans can increase bacterial transmission risk between species, samples of gastric tissue of 14 free range wild boars (Sus scrofa) were evaluated for the presence of H. pylori and H. suis using PCR. Samples from the antral gastric mucosa from two animals were PCR-positive for H. pylori and another one for H. suis. These findings indicate that these microorganisms were able to colonize the stomach of wild boars and raise awareness for their putative intervention in Helicobacter spp. transmission cycle.

Perception and Knowledge of Portuguese Veterinarians about the Zoonotic Transmission of Helicobacter pylori and Helicobacter suis: The Need for One Health Intervention

“…Considering the close contact between humans and animals and the late reports of Helicobacter spp. in humans [ 26 ], the late reports of H. pylori human-animal transmission and infection [ 20 ], or the detection of H. pylori DNA in other animal species [ 14 , 16 ], and also the description of human H. suis infection [ 1 , 27 ], including a report in a veterinarian [ 12 ], our goal was to investigate the awareness of veterinarians regarding Helicobacter species, such as H. pylori and H. suis.…”

“…In humans, Helicobacter suis ( H. suis ), naturally hosted by pigs, is the most prevalent NHPH and has also been associated with a range of gastric and extra-digestive pathologies [ 1 , 4 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Recent reports reinforce that these infections most likely originate from pigs, emphasizing their zoonotic potential [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

“…H. pylori infection is acquired predominantly during childhood and persists throughout life without treatment [ 5 ]. The route of transmission is not 100% known and the human stomach is considered the only known reservoir, despite having been identified in other species’ stomachs [ 5 , 14 , 16 , 17 ]. Human-to-human transmission may occur through different pathways (such as gastro-oral, oral-oral, and fecal-oral), but there are other routes also hypothesized to be foodborne transmissions as the organism has been identified in food and water [ 5 , 17 , 18 ].…”

Zoonoses and Wildlife: One Health Approach

“…More than 50 different species—including wild and domestic ungulates (e.g., red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, chamois, mouflon, European bison, wild boar, sheep, goat, cattle), wild carnivores (e.g., wolf, Eurasian lynx, Eurasian badger, coypu, beech marten, golden jackal), micromammals (e.g., yellow-necked field mouse, long-tailed field mouse, European water vole, white-toothed shrew, garden dormouse, common vole, house mouse, western Mediterranean mouse, black rat, Eurasian red squirrel), non-human primates (the genera Cebuella, Cercocebus, Cercopithecus, Eulemur, Hylobates, Lemur, Macaca, Mandrillus, Saimiri, and Varecia ), turtles (e.g., Testudo hermanni , T. h. boettgeri , T. graeca , and T. marginata ), bats (the families Pteropodidae, Emballonuridae, Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, and Vespertilionidae), and ticks ( Ixodes ricinus , Dermacentor marginatus , Hyalomma marginatum )—are included. Regarding the zoonotic pathogens represented in this issue, the presence of or exposure to 17 different pathogens—including viruses [ 4 ] (West Nile virus), bacteria [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ] ( Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Coxiella burnetii, Helicobacter pylori, H. suis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex, Salmonella sp., and Leptospira interrogans sensu stricto), and parasitic protists [ 14 , 15 ] (e.g., Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis , Blastocystis sp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi , Entamoeba histolytica , Entamoeba dispar , Balantioides coli , Troglodytella spp., Leishmania spp. )—are presented.…”

“…In their study, Cortez Nunes et al [ 13 ] investigated the presence of Helicobacter pylori and H. suis DNA in free-range wild boars. Helicobacter pylori and H. suis are associated with gastric pathologies in humans.…”