ACUTE GASTRITIS ASSOCIATED WITH SPIRAL ORGANISMS FROM CATS

Numerous studies implicate Helicobacter pylori as one causative agent producing gastritis and dyspepsia. Recent reports focus on another bac terium Gastrospirillum hominis, as a possible pathogen producing gastr itis. We report a 30-year-old researcher who became acutely ill with e pigastric pain indicative of esophagitis or peptic ulcer disease. Gast ritis and a gastric ulcer were observed endoscopically. Histological e xamination of the gastric mucosa revealed an acute gastritis and large spiral-shaped organisms. The spiral forms were present in large quant ities in the gastric mucosa of experimental animals (cats) handled by the patient in his research. Electron microscopy confirmed that the or ganisms from the cat and patient were morphologically identical. The p atient was successfully treated with bismuth subsalicylate. His sympto ms resolved and the organisms were cleared from his stomach. This stud y provides evidence that another bacterium, a Gastrospirillum, may cau se gastritis in man and may be transmitted from animal to man.