vacAGenotype Status ofHelicobacter pyloriIsolated from Foods with Animal Origin

Abstract

According to controversial theories and results of studies, foods with animal origins play an important role in the transmission ofH. pylorito human. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution ofvacAgenotypes ofH. pylori,isolated from milk and meat samples of cow, sheep, goat, camel, and buffalo. Eight hundred and twenty raw milk and meat samples were collected from various parts of Iran. Samples were cultured and those found positive forH. pyloriwere analyzed for the presence of various genotypes ofvacAgene. Out of 420 milk and 400 meat samples, 92 (21.90%) and 105 (26.25%) were positive forH. pylori, respectively. The most commonly detected genotypes in thevacAgene weres1a(86.80%),m1a(79.18%),s1b(69.54%), andm1b(63.45%) and detected combined genotypes were mostlym1as1a(68.52%),m1as1b(60.40%),m1bs1b(55.83%), andm1bs1a(53.29%). High presence of bacteria in the milk and meat samples of sheep represents that sheep may be the natural host ofH. pylori. High presence ofH. pyloristrains in milk and meat samples similar tovacAgenotypes in human being suggests that milk and meat samples could be the sources of bacteria for human.