ANIMAL AND PUBLIC-HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF GASTRIC COLONIZATION OF CATSBY HELICOBACTER-LIKE ORGANISMS

The bacterial genus Helicobacter contains a number of species which co lonize the gastric mucosa of mammals. Natural and/or experimental gast ric pathology has been correlated with colonization in humans and a wi de variety of animal species. Historical reports in the literature sug gest that a high percentage of cats are colonized by large, spiral, ga stric helicobacter-like organisms (GHLOs). One of these bacteria (Heli cobacter felis) has been isolated on artificial media and has experime ntally caused gastritis in gnotobiotic dogs. This study surveyed the p revalence of helicobacter colonization in random-source cats by using the urease assay. Histologic examination was performed to determine th e degree of associated pathology present. GHLOs associated with chroni c gastritis were present in 70% of the juvenile and 97% of the adult c ats studied. Although further study is needed to determine specificall y.what role GHLOs play in feline gastrointestinal disease, these resul ts indicate that helicobacter colonization should be considered in the pathogenesis of feline gastroenteropathy. Furthermore, the high preva lence of feline infection is interesting because cats have recently be en implicated as a potential reservoir for human infection by helicoba cter-like organisms.