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- Title
Identification of Viable Helicobacter pylori in Drinking Water Supplies by Cultural and Molecular Techniques.
- Authors
Santiago, Paula; Moreno, Yolanda; Ferrús, M. Antonía
- Abstract
Background Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common causes of chronic bacterial infection in humans, directly related to peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. It has been suggested that H. pylori can be acquired through different transmission routes, including water. In this study, culture and qPCR were used to detect and identify the presence of H. pylori in drinking water. Furthermore, the combined techniques PMA-qPCR and DVC-FISH were applied for detection of viable cells of H. pylori. Results Among 24 drinking water samples, 16 samples were positive for the presence of H. pylori, but viable cells were only detected in six samples. Characteristic colonies, covered by a mass of bacterial unspecific growth, were observed on selective agar plates from an only sample, after enrichment. The mixed culture was submitted to DVC-FISH and qPCR analysis, followed by sequencing of the amplicons. Molecular techniques confirmed the growth of H. pylori on the agar plate. Conclusions Our results demonstrate for the first time that H. pylori can survive and be potentially infective in drinking water, showing that water distribution systems could be a potential route for H. pylori transmission.
- Subjects
HELICOBACTER pylori; CONTAMINATION of drinking water; DRINKING water quality; PEPTIC ulcer; STOMACH cancer; POLYMERASE chain reaction; AGAR; ULCERS; DISEASE risk factors
- Publication
Helicobacter, 2015, Vol 20, Issue 4, p252
- ISSN
1083-4389
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/hel.12205