Helicobacter pyloriin Vegetables and Salads: Genotyping and Antimicrobial Resistance Properties

Abstract

From a clinical and epidemiological perspective, it is important to know which genotypes and antibiotic resistance patterns are present inH. pyloristrains isolated from salads and vegetables. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to find this purpose. Three hundred eighty washed and unwashed vegetable samples and fifty commercial and traditional salad samples were collected from Isfahan, Iran. Samples were cultured and those found positive forH. pyloriwere analyzed using PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using disk diffusion method. Seven out of 50 (14%) salad and 52 out of 380 (13.68%) vegetable samples harboredH. pylori. In addition, leek, lettuce, and cabbage were the most commonly contaminated samples (30%). The most prevalent virulence genes wereoipA(86.44%) andcagA(57.625).VacA s1a(37.28%) andiceA1(47.45%) were the most prevalent genotypes. Forty different genotypic combinations were recognized. S1a/cagA+/iceA1/oipA+ (33.89%), s1a/cagA+/iceA2/oipA (30.50%), and m1a/cagA+/iceA1/oipA+ (28.81%) were the most prevalent combined genotypes. Bacterial strains had the highest levels of resistance against metronidazole (77.96%), amoxicillin (67.79%), and ampicillin (61.01%). High similarity in the genotyping pattern ofH. pyloriamong vegetable and salad samples and human specimens suggests that vegetable and salads may be the sources of the bacteria.