Helicobacter species

• Helicobacter

  • Gram negative bacilli, microaerophiles, not causing gastroenteritis
  • strongly associated with gastric, peptic, and duodenal ulcers as well as with gastrointestinal carcinoma.
• H. CINAEDI AND H. FENNELLIAE

  • have been associated with human gastroenteritis, generally in immunocompromised patients.
• H. CANADENSIS, H. CANIS, H. PULLORUM, AND H. WINGHAMENSIS

  • gastroenteritis
  • Most common: H. pylori
• SPECIMEN COLLECTION : HELICOBACTER

  • Stool samples
  • Rectal swabs – less preferred
  • Transport Medium: Cary-Blair
  • Helicobacter pylori: can be recovered from gastric biopsy materials
  • cysteine-Brucella broth with 20% glycerol and Frozen at −70° C
  • Stuart Medium
• CULTURE MEDIA: HELICOBACTER

  • Campylobacter blood agar or Campy blood agar
  • Butzler medium
  • Skirrow’s Medium
  • Campy-CVA (cefoperazone-vancomycin-amphotericin B) medium
  • Charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar (CCDA)
  • Charcoal-based selective media (CSM)
• INCUBATION

  • 42°C
  • 37°C – C. fetus subsp. Fetus

  CAMPYLOBACTER

  • 5% O2
  • 10% CO2
  • 85% N2

  HELICOBACTER

  • 5% to 10% O2
  • 5% to 12% CO2
• COLONY MORPHOLOGY : HELICOBACTER

  • Moist runny looking, and spreading, usually nonhemolytic, some are round and raised and others may be flat
  • C. fetus subsp. fetus – produces smooth, convex, translucent colonies
  • C. mucosalis and C. hyointestinalis – can produce a dirty yellow pigment
• MICROSCOPIC MORPHOLOGY : HELICOBACTER

  • Curved, non-spore-forming, gram-negative rods
  • Long spirals or S- or seagull wing shapes – campylobacter
  • “darting” motility – campylobacter; phase-contrast
  • microscope; hanging drop preparation
• DEFINITIVE IDENTIFICATION

  • Positive oxidase
  • Positive hippurate hydrolysis – C. jejuni

  H. pylori

  • Rapid urease production/activity
  • Christensen’s urea medium [slant or broth] and incubated at 37°C for 2 hours [once there is urease activity, nagiging salmon pink]

  Non-invasive indirect test

  • Urea Breath Test
• Major cause of: Type B gastritis