Helicobacter pullorum in chickens, Belgium

Emerg Infect Dis. 2006 Feb;12(2):263-7. doi: 10.3201/eid1202.050847.

Abstract

A total of 110 broilers from 11 flocks were tested for Helicobacter pullorum by polymerase chain reaction; positive samples were reexamined with a conventional isolation method. H. pullorum isolates were examined by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting for interstrain genetic diversity and relatedness. Sixteen isolates from cecal samples from 2 different flocks were obtained. AFLP analysis showed that these isolates and 4 additional isolates from a different flock clustered according to their origin, which indicates that H. pullorum colonization may occur with a single strain that disseminates throughout the flock. Strains isolated from different hosts or geographic sources displayed a distinctive pattern. H. pullorum is present in approximately one third of live chickens in Belgium and may represent a risk to human health.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abattoirs
  • Animals
  • Belgium / epidemiology
  • Cecum / microbiology
  • Chickens / microbiology*
  • Helicobacter / classification*
  • Helicobacter / genetics*
  • Helicobacter / isolation & purification
  • Helicobacter Infections / epidemiology
  • Helicobacter Infections / microbiology
  • Helicobacter Infections / veterinary*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
  • Poultry / microbiology
  • Poultry Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Poultry Diseases / microbiology