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Thesis
POTENTIAL ZOONOTIC RESERVOIRS FOR HELICOBACTER PYLORI
University of West Florida
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2011
Abstract
The mode of transmission of Helicobacter pylori, the cause of gastric ulcers in humans and a Class I human carcinogen, remains inconclusive. However, its presence in domestic animals or environmental waters is a public health hazard. In order to elucidate potential modes of transmission and circumvent limitations associated with the viable but non-culturable state of H. pylori, I used non-invasive molecular methods. I analyzed 290 fecal samples from 178 human and animal hosts, from four geographical regions: Florida, Kansas, Texas, and Nigeria using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting 16S rRNA genes of Domain Bacteria and the isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD) genes of H. pylori. Cycle sequencing coupled with phylogenetic characterization of PCR amplicons representing Helicobacter spp. revealed both the identity and relatedness of the organisms. Of the sampled hosts, 27 humans and 71 pigs tested preliminarily positive for H. pylori based on the 16S rRNA gene. Six pigs were conclusively H. pylori positive based on the sequencing of the ICD gene whereas others showed a closer relationship to H. mastomyrinus and H. rappini. Mouse model experiments elucidated both kinetics and relative-infectivity of different strains of Helicobacter. Infectivity varied with mouse strain but was generally detected between 1- 15 days post-inoculation.
Details
- Title
- POTENTIAL ZOONOTIC RESERVOIRS FOR HELICOBACTER PYLORI
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Publisher
- University of West Florida
- Format
- text
- Identifiers
- 99380090759706600
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Science (MS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida