Cytolethal distending toxin in avian and human isolates of Helicobacter pullorum

Helicobacter pullorum has been isolated from the feces and livers of poultr y and is associated with human gastroenteritis. Discrimination of this orga nism from other enterohepatic Helicobacter species and Campylobacter specie s has proven difficult. H, pullorum from both avian and human clinical sour ces has DNA sequence homology and cytotoxic activity that represent a new m ember of the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) family of bacterial toxins. CDT is a potential virulence factor in H. pullorum that may serve as a dist inguishing phenotype and aid in identification of this organism in veterina ry and human clinical samples.