Prevalence of Helicobacter equorum in faecal samples from horses and humans.
Abstract: Recently, a new enterohepatic Helicobacter species, H. equorum, was isolated from faecal samples of two clinically healthy horses. At the onset of this study, nothing was known about the prevalence of this organism in horses, nor was there any information available on the possible zoonotic character of this agent. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of H. equorum in faecal samples from equine and human origin. Therefore, faecal samples of 120 healthy privately owned horses, 227 healthy riding-school horses and 239 hospitalised horses were screened for H. equorum-DNA by means of a PCR amplifying a 1074-bp fragment of the 23S rRNA gene with primers specific for H. equorum. The vast majority of the hospitalised horses were under treatment with an antimicrobial agent at the moment of sampling, while the other horses had not been treated with an antimicrobial agent in the 14 days preceding the sampling. Stool samples of 531 humans suffering from gastro-intestinal disease and 100 clinically healthy humans were likewise examined. H. equorum-DNA was demonstrated in faeces from 0.8% of the privately owned horses, 3.1% of the riding-school horses and 7.9% of the hospitalised horses. The prevalence of H. equorum was significantly higher in hospitalised than in healthy, privately owned horses (P=0.02). H. equorum-DNA was not detected in human samples. These results indicate that the prevalence of H. equorum in horses may be influenced by the health status of the investigated horse population and/or by antimicrobial treatment. We may additionally assume that this micro-organism does not commonly infect humans.
Publication Date: 2006-12-22 PubMed ID: 17223287DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2006.12.014Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research aims to understand the prevalence of a newly discovered bacterium, Helicobacter equorum, in horses and humans. The study revealed that this bacterium is more prevalent in sick and hospitalized horses than in healthy ones, but is not found in humans whether healthy or suffering from gastrointestinal disease.
Background and Purpose of Study
- Helicobacter equorum was recently identified in the faecal samples of two healthy horses. At the study’s onset, little was known about how commonly this organism occurs in horses and whether it could be transmitted to humans (its zoonotic potential).
- The main goal of the research was to determine the prevalence of H. equorum in faecal samples of horses and humans.
Methodology
- A total of 586 horse faecal samples were examined. These samples fell into three categories: 120 from healthy privately owned horses, 227 from healthy riding-school horses, and 239 from hospitalised horses.
- In addition, 631 human stool samples were scrutinized. Of this total, 531 were from individuals suffering from gastrointestinal disease, and the remaining 100 were from clinically healthy humans.
- The researchers utilized a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect H. equorum-DNA in these samples, using specific primers for this particular bacterium.
Results
- The results demonstrated that prevalence of H. equorum varied among horses. About 0.8% of privately owned healthy horses, 3.1% of the healthy riding-school horses, and 7.9% of the hospitalized horses tested positive for H. equorum.
- It was statistically significant that hospitalised horses had a higher prevalence of H. equorum when compared to healthy privately owned ones.
- No H. equorum-DNA was detected in any of the human samples.
Conclusions
- The study suggested that the prevalence of H. equorum in horses could be influenced both by the health status of the investigated horse population and by antimicrobial treatment. Sick and hospitalized horses were found to harbour this bacterium more frequently.
- The complete lack of H. equorum-DNA in human samples suggests that this micro-organism does not typically infect humans, indicating that it lacks zoonotic potential.
Cite This Article
APA
Moyaert H, Haesebrouck F, Baele M, Picavet T, Ducatelle R, Chiers K, Ceelen L, Decostere A.
(2006).
Prevalence of Helicobacter equorum in faecal samples from horses and humans.
Vet Microbiol, 121(3-4), 378-383.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2006.12.014 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Hilde.Moyaert@UGent.be
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
- DNA, Bacterial / genetics
- Electrophoresis, Agar Gel / veterinary
- Feces / microbiology
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / microbiology
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / veterinary
- Helicobacter / genetics
- Helicobacter / isolation & purification
- Helicobacter Infections / microbiology
- Helicobacter Infections / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Humans
- Logistic Models
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Prevalence
- RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / chemistry
- RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / genetics
- Sensitivity and Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Funato M, Kaneko H, Ohkusu K, Sasai H, Kubota K, Ohnishi H, Kato Z, Fukao T, Kondo N. Refractory chronic pleurisy caused by Helicobacter equorum-like bacterium in a patient with X-linked agammaglobulinemia. J Clin Microbiol 2011 Sep;49(9):3432-5.
- Moyaert H, Pasmans F, Ducatelle R, Haesebrouck F, Baele M. Evaluation of 16S rRNA gene-based PCR assays for genus-level identification of Helicobacter species. J Clin Microbiol 2008 May;46(5):1867-9.
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