Prevalence and diversity of enteric Helicobacter spp. in healthy and diarrheic cats

Reza Ahmadi; Farnoosh Arfaee; Shahram Jamshidi; Pejman Mortazavi; Mahmoud Jamshidian

doi:10.18502/ijm.v16i4.16317

Reza Ahmadi Department of Clinical Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Farnoosh Arfaee Department of Clinical Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Shahram Jamshidi Department of Internal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Pejman Mortazavi Department of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Mahmoud Jamshidian 3Department of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v16i4.16317

Keywords: Cats; Helicobacter spp.; Feces; Diarrhea healthy

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Helicobacters are gastric and enterohepatic and live in the gut. The role of enterohepatic Heli- cobacters as intestinal pathogens is uncertain, while stomach Helicobacters are well-known. The prevalence of Helicobacter species in cat feces helps us understand their impact on cat health and human disease transmission. This study used PCR to identify Helicobacter spp. in feces samples from healthy and diarrhoeic cats, independent of the reason. The study also compared intestinal and stomach Helicobacter species.

Materials and Methods: PCR analysis was performed on fecal samples from 40 cats, with 20 cats having diarrhea and 20 cats showing no symptoms. The PCR analysis aimed to detect Helicobacter's presence using a method that identifies the bacteria through the 16S rRNA gene.

Results: The diarrhoeic group had a greater prevalence of infection (17:9 ratio), with an overall 65% infection rate detected. Cats that were older than 2 years showed a higher incidence of disease. H. canis had the highest occurrence rate (69.2%), followed by H. bilis, H. bizzozeronii, and H. salomonis. Significantly, H. pylori, H. felis, and H. heilmannii were not reported.

Conclusion: H. canis was the predominant species found in both healthy and diarrheic cats, indicating the need for more in- vestigation. The detection of the gastric species H. salomonis and H. bizzozeronii further complicates the classification. This highlights the complex nature of Helicobacter infections in cats, emphasizing the need for further investigation to guide the development of preventative measures and treatment techniques for both veterinary and public health purposes.