HELICOBACTER-HEILMANNII (FORMERLY GASTROSPIRILLUM-HOMINIS) GASTRITIS - AN INFECTION TRANSMITTED BY ANIMALS

Background: The source of infection with Helicobacter heilmannii (form erly Gastrospirillum hominis), a relatively rare causative agent of ga stritis in humans, is not clear. II has long been known that this orga nism occurs in the stomach of domestic animals and pets. Methods: By p erforming an epidemiologic investigation on possible contact of patien ts with Helicobacter heilmannii gastritis with such animals, we made a n attempt to gain further information about the source of infection. R esults: Of 125 patients with confirmed H. heilmannii infection, 111 pr ovided us with information about contact with animals. Some 70.3% of t he patients had contact with one or more animals (as compared with 37% in the 'normal' population); 73% were males, and 1.6% had concomitant infection with H. pylori. Conclusions: Our analysis indicates that H. heilmannii gastritis is due to its transmission to humans by domestic animals or pets. Concomitant infections by H. heilmannii and H. pylor i are very rare, and ii is possible that H. heilmannii might protect f rom infection with H. pylori. However, the results of our retrospectiv e analysis mill have to be tested against those of a prospective study investigating the day-to-day situation of the individual patients in greater detail and also be compared with patients not infected with H. heilmannii.