Putative novel enterohepatic Helicobacter sp. isolated from faecal material from various aquatic and terrestrial zoo mammals.. Putative novel enterohepatic Helicobacter sp.

Background: Helicobacter and Campylobacter spp. colonize the gastrointestinal tract of various domesticated animal species. Apart from their pathogenic significance in animals, several species are of zoonotic importance for humans as well. For most non-domesticated animal species, however, little is known on the presence and importance of these agents. Therefore, we investigated the presence of Helicobacter and Campylobacter spp. in marine and terrestrial zoo mammals. Materials and methods: Faecal samples of various marine and terrestrial zoo mammals were collected from 6 different zoos in Belgium. These samples were tested for the presence of Helicobacter and Campylobacter spp. by isolation and direct demonstration of DNA using genus-specific PCRs, followed by sequencing of the obtained amplicons. Results: Helicobacter spp. were detected in 12 and Campylobacter spp. in 5 of the 22 faecal samples from marine mammals. In 4 of 5 dolphins, H. cetorum was demonstrated, a well-known pathogen associated with gastritis and gastric ulceration in marine mammals. C. insulaenigrae was isolated from 4 of 6 sea lions and from 1 of 11 seals. To our knowledge, this is the first description of presence of C. insulaenigrae on the European mainland. Helicobacter spp. were detected in 5 and Campylobacter spp. (mainly C. jejuni subsp. jejuni and C. coli) in 8 of the 26 faecal samples from terrestrial mammals. Potential novel enterohepatic Helicobacter spp. were detected in both marine and terrestrial zoo mammals.Conclusion: For the first time, the presence of several known and unknown Campylobacter and Helicobacter spp. was demonstrated in the gastrointestinal tract of various marine and terrestrial zoo mammals. Further investigation is needed on the pathogenic and zoonotic importance of these species.