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Helicobacter and Campylobacter species (spp.) colonize the gastrointestinal tract of various domesticated animals. Apart from their pathogenic significance in animals, several species are of zoonotic importance as well. For most non-domesticated animal spp., 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. 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. 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 the 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 9 of the 26 faecal samples from terrestrial mammals. Potential novel enterohepatic Helicobacter spp. were detected in both marine and terrestrial zoo mammals. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulceration of the non-glandular part of the stomach is a common disease entity of pigs worldwide, with prevalences of up to 93%. It may result in decreased daily weight gain, decreased feed intake and sudden death, thus leading to significant economic losses, as well as animal welfare issues. The aetiology is multifactorial. Diet particle size, management and infectious agents have been hypothesised to be involved. The exact mechanism behind porcine gastric ulceration is, however, not completely clear. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the role of infectious agents in the development of porcine gastric ulceration. Results of recent studies indicate that Helicobacter suis infection plays an important role in gastric ulceration, probably by affecting gastric acid secretion through alteration of the number and/or function of parietal, D and G cells. In a gastric environment altered by H. suis , higher numbers of Fusobacterium gastrosuis are present and this novel pathogen has a potential role in the development of porcine gastric ulceration. Inoculation of pigs with Lactobacillus sp., Bacillus sp. or Helicobacter pylori -like bacteria in combination with a carbohydrate-rich diet may induce gastric lesions. It has been hypothesised that production of short chain fatty acids by some of these bacteria might be involved in the pathogenesis of porcine gastric ulceration, but the lack of taxonomic characterisation hampers the interpretation of these studies. Severe infectious diseases have also been associated with gastric lesions, probably due to interruption in feed intake and/or histamine release. Other agents, including fungi and parasites such as Hyostrongylus rubidus and Ascaris suum , have occasionally been associated with gastric lesions in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine strains of a novel Fusobacterium sp. were isolated from the stomach of 6–8 months old and adult pigs. The isolates were obligately anaerobic, although they endured 2 h exposure to air. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA and gyrase B genes demonstrated that the isolates showed high sequence similarity with Fusobacterium mortiferum , Fusobacterium ulcerans , Fusobacterium varium , Fusobacterium russii and Fusobacterium necrogenes , but formed a distinct lineage in the genus Fusobacterium. Comparative analysis of the genome of the type strain of this novel Fusobacterium sp. confirmed that it is different from other recognized Fusobacterium spp. DNA-DNA hybridization, fingerprinting and genomic %GC determination further supported the conclusion that the isolates belong to a new, distinct species. The isolates were also distinguishable from these and other Fusobacterium spp. by phenotypical characterization. The strains produced indole and exhibited proline arylamidase and glutamic acid decarboxylase activity. They did not hydrolyse esculin, did not exhibit pyroglutamic acid arylamidase, valine arylamidase, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, β-galactosidase-6-phosphate or α-glucosidase activity nor produced acid from cellobiose, glucose, lactose, mannitol, mannose, maltose, raffinose, saccharose, salicin or trehalose. The major fatty acids were C16:0 and C18:1ω9c. The name Fusobacterium gastrosuis sp. nov. is proposed for the novel isolates with the type strain CDW1(T) (=DSM 101753(T) = LMG 29236(T)). We also demonstrated that Clostridium rectum and mortiferum Fusobacterium represent the same species, with nomenclatural priority for the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Confirmation of the feasibility of a combined agar and broth dilution method. • Detection of SNPs in H. suis isolates showing high MICs. • Acquired resistance occasionally occurs in porcine and primate H. suis isolates. • Decreased susceptibility for β-lactams and tetracyclines in porcine isolates. Helicobacter suis is a fastidious, Gram negative bacterium that colonizes the stomach of pigs and non-human primates. It has also been associated with gastric disease in humans. A combined agar and broth dilution method was used to analyze the activity of 15 antimicrobial agents against 20 and 15 H. suis isolates obtained from pigs and macaques, respectively. After 48 h microaerobic incubation, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by software-assisted calculation of bacterial growth as determined by quantitative real-time PCR. A monomodal distribution of MICs was seen for β-lactam antibiotics, macrolides, gentamicin, neomycin, doxycycline, metronidazole, and rifampicin. Presence of a bimodal distribution of MICs indicated that 2 porcine isolates did not belong to the wild type population (WTP) for fluoroquinolones. This was also the case for 1 porcine isolate for tetracycline, 1 porcine and 2 primate isolates for lincomycin, and 1 primate isolate for spectinomycin. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were present in the gyrA gene of the isolates not belonging to the WTP for fluoroquinolones and in ribosomal protein encoding genes of the isolates not belonging to the WTP for tetracycline and spectinomycin. MICs of ampicillin, tetracycline and doxycycline were higher for porcine H. suis isolates compared to primate isolates and in these porcine isolates SNPs were detected in genes encoding penicillin binding and ribosomal proteins. This study indicates that acquired resistance occasionally occurs in H. suis isolates and that zoonotically important porcine isolates may be intrinsically less susceptible to β-lactam antibiotics and tetracyclines than primate isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]