HELICOBACTER MUSTELAE-ASSOCIATED GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA IN FERRETS (MUSTELA-PUTORIUS-FURO)

Helicobacter pylori in humans is associated with active, chronic gastr itis, peptic ulcer disease, and most recently has been linked epidemio logically to gastric adenocarcinoma. A related organism, Helicobacter mustelae, naturally infects ferrets and also causes a persistent gastr itis, a precancerous lesion, and focal glandular atrophy of the proxim al antrum. In this report, we document the clinical presentation and h istopathologic confirmation of H. mustelae-associated gastric adenocar cinoma in two middle-aged male ferrets. The ferret appears to be well suited to study the pathogenesis of naturally occurring Helicobacter s p.-induced gastric adenocarcinoma.