DETECTION AND PREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER INFECTION IN PET CATS

The presence of spiral bacteria in the feline stomach has been recogni zed for over a century, but the identities and degrees of prevalence o f such organisms in privately owned cats are still poorly documented. The aims of this study were (i) to adapt different diagnostic tools an d evaluate their practicality for diagnosing feline gastric Helicobact er colonization, (ii) to determine the prevalence of gastric Helicobac ter-like organisms in pet cats, (iii) to identify the feline species, and (iv) to correlate the presence of a Helicobacter infection with ga stritis. Biopsy samples were taken gastroscopically from the antra and the corpora of clinically healthy pet cats. Helicobacter-like organis ms were detected by Gram staining, Warthin-Starry staining, and rapid urease testing in biopsy specimens and by [C-13] urea breath testing i n 79, 77, 78, and 85% of cases, respectively. PCR analysis revealed th at 78% of the cats (38 of 49) were infected by Helicobacter heilmannii ; however, none of them was harboring Helicobacter pylori or Helicobac ter felis. Culture was positive for one cat; the organism was identifi ed as Helicobacter pametensis by dot blot DNA hybridization. By a comb ination of the detection methods, 91% of the pet cats were found to be Helicobacter positive, For 46 cats (79%) diagnostic tests were concor dant. All cats showed mild to moderate gastritis in either the antrum or the corpus, regardless of the presence or density of gastric bacter ia. In summary, pet cats are frequently colonized by H. heilmannii wit hout a significant correlation between infection and degree of gastrit is.