Helicobacteraceae in Bulk Tank Milk of Dairy Herds from Northern Italy

Abstract

Helicobacter pyloriis responsible for gastritis and gastric adenocarcinoma in humans, but the routes of transmission of this bacterium have not been clearly defined. Few studies led to supposing thatH. pyloricould be transmitted through raw milk, and no one investigated the presence of other Helicobacteraceae in milk. In the current work, the presence of Helicobacteraceae was investigated in the bulk tank milk of dairy cattle herds located in northern Italy both by direct plating ontoH. pyloriselective medium and by screening PCR for Helicobacteraceae, followed by specific PCRs forH. pylori,Wolinellaspp., and “Candidatus Helicobacter bovis.” Three out of 163 bulk milk samples tested positive for Helicobacteraceae, but not for the subsequent PCRs.H. pyloriwas not isolated in any case. However, given similar growth conditions,Arcobacter butzleri,A. cryaerophilus, andA. skirrowiiwere recovered. In conclusion, the prevalence of Helicobacteraceae in raw milk was negligible (1.8%), andH. pyloriwas not identified in any of the positive samples, suggesting that, at least in the farming conditions of the investigated area, bovine milk does not represent a potential source of infection.