IDENTIFICATION OF A NOVEL ENTERIC HELICOBACTER SPECIES IN A KITTEN WITH SEVERE DIARRHEA

A previously undescribed Helicobacter sp, was recovered from a cat wit h severe diarrhea. Based upon the absence of any other identifiable ca use of diarrhea, this helicobacter may be involved in the development of the disease signs. The organism could not be cultured but was descr ibed on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and morphology an d appeared to be a new species, with Helicobacter canis being the most genetically similar species, The presence of a diarrhea-inducing heli cobacter in a companion animal may pose a risk of zoonosis.