ENVIRONMENTAL OCCURRENCE OF THE WHIPPLES-DISEASE BACTERIUM (TROPHERYMA-WHIPPELII)

Whipple's disease is a systemic disorder in which a gram-positive rod- shaped bacterium is constantly present in infected tissues. After nume rous unsuccessful attempts to culture this bacterium, it was eventuall y characterized by 16S rRNA gene analysis to be a member of the actino mycetes, The name Tropheryma whippelii was proposed, Until now, the ba cterium has only been found in infected human tissues, but there is no evidence for human-to-human transmission, Here we report the detectio n of DNA specific for the Whipple's disease bacterium in 25 of 38 wast ewater samples from five different sewage treatment plants in the area of Heidelberg, Germany. These findings provide the first evidence tha t T. whippelii occurs in the environment, within a polymicrobial commu nity, This is in accordance with the phylogenetic relationship of this bacterium as well as with known epidemiological aspects of Whipple's disease, Our data argue for an environmental source for infection with the Whipple's disease bacterium.