DEMONSTRATION OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI-LIKE ORGANISMS IN THE GASTRIC-MUCOSA OF CAPTIVE EXOTIC CARNIVORES

Samples of gastric tissue from the cardiac, fundic and pyloric region of 30 carnivores comprising 12 tigers (Panthera tigris), 10 lions (Pan thera leo) three pumas (Felis concolor), two leopards (Panthera pardus ), one serval (Felis serval), one wolf (Canis lupus) and one hyena (Cr ocuta crocuta) kept at German zoological dens were subjected to histop athological and immunohistochemical examination. Selected tissue speci mens of 12 animals were examined also by electron microscopy. The purp ose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter-like organisms in carnivores and to record infection rates, degree of colo nization and associated histopathological changes. Three morphological ly different types of spiral-shaped bacteria were demonstrated. A Heli cobacter pylori-like organism (HPLO) was found in 42% of the tigers an d 90% of the lions examined. Large Helicobacter-like organisms (HLOs) were identified in three pumas, one serval. one hy-ena and in three li ons (in the latter, in coexistence with HPLOs). A third organism with a spiral periplasmic fibril (Helicobacter felis-like) was demonstrated in a wolf. The most striking histopathological finding associated wit h HPLO and HLO colonization was the formation of lymphoid follicles in the mucosa. Additional lymphoplasmacytic and neutrophilic infiltrates in the gastric mucosa were found in a number of tigers and lions infe cted with HPLOs, but none in the other carnivores infected with HLOs. From these results it is concluded that gastric bacteria similar or id entical with H. pylori may also be an important cause of chronic gastr itis in tigers and lions. (C) 1997 W.B. Saunders Company Limited.