Are goats naturally resistant to gastric Helicobacter infection?
Gastric Helicobacter species are widespread and have been reported in wild and domestic mammals of different dietary habits such as humans, dogs, cats, macaques, mice, cheetahs, ferrets, swine and cattle. All have been associated with gastric pathologies. Recently, gastric Helicobacter species were shown to be widespread in cattle and swine in Europe, and there is a report of Helicobacter pylori in sheep in Italy. However, there are no reports of Helicobacter infection in the goat, another important domestic animal of human consumption. The aim of our study was to assess whether Helicobacter abomasal infection was common in goats slaughtered for human consumption. Infection was detected through PCR analysis of DNA extracted from gastric biopsies, using genus- and species-specific primers. Bovine and porcine gastric samples were also analyzed as positive controls. None of the 70 goats were positive for Helicobacter spp.; however, Candidatus Helicobacter bovis and Candidatus Helicobacter suis were detected in 85% of the bovine and 45% of the porcine samples, respectively. We discuss the possibility that goats may exhibit natural resistance to abomasal infection by Helicobacter spp.
Gueneau
Pulchérie
P
Laboratorio de Fisiología Gastrointestinal, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela. pgueneau@cbb.ivic.ve
Fuenmayor
Jahely
J
Aristimuño
Olga C
OC
Cedeño
Samandhy
S
Báez
Estalina
E
Reyes
Nelson
N
Michelangeli
Fabián
F
Domínguez-Bello
Maria Gloria
MG
D000018:Abomasum / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006041:Goats; D016998:Helicobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial