title: Helicobacter equorum: prevalence and significance for horses and humans.
abstract: Helicobacter equorum colonizes the caecum, colon and rectum of horses. The agent is highly prevalent in <6-month-old foals. In adult horses, the prevalence of H. equorum seems to be rather low, but these animals may harbour low, subdetectable numbers of this microorganism in their intestines. So far, no association could be made between the presence of H. equorum and clinical disease or intestinal lesions in adult horses. Further research is necessary to elucidate the pathogenic potential of this bacterial species towards young foals. Helicobacter equorum DNA was not detected in human faeces, indicating that this microorganism does not commonly spread from horses towards humans.
authors.affiliation: International Clinical Development, s.a. Alcon-Couvreur n.v., Puurs, Belgium. hilde.moyaert@alconlabs.com
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moyaert
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasmans
authors.forename: Annemie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Decostere
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ducatelle
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haesebrouck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016998:Helicobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology