Helicobacter pullorum in chickens, Belgium.

Liesbeth M Ceelen; Annemie Decostere; Kathleen Van den Bulck; Stephen L W On; Margo Baele; Richard Ducatelle; Freddy Haesebrouck

doi:10.3201/eid1202.050847

PubMed · 16494752

Helicobacter pullorum in chickens, Belgium.

Liesbeth M Ceelen·Annemie Decostere·Kathleen Van den Bulck·Stephen L W On·Margo Baele·Richard Ducatelle·Freddy Haesebrouck

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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.

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Abattoirs Animals Belgium Cecum Chickens Helicobacter Helicobacter Infections Polymerase Chain Reaction Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length Poultry Poultry Diseases Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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Liesbeth M Ceelen, Annemie Decostere, Kathleen Van den Bulck, Stephen L W On, Margo Baele, Richard Ducatelle, Freddy Haesebrouck. 2006. Helicobacter pullorum in chickens, Belgium.. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1202.050847

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