Helicobacter canis colonization in sheep: A zoonotic link

Background: Helicobacter canis has been associated with hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal disease in dogs, cats, and humans. Infection has not been documented in other species. Materials and Methods: Sheep feces subjected to microaerobic culture. Isolates were characterized by genus-specific PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism, biochemical profiling, and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Results: Helicobacter canis was isolated from sheep feces and confirmed by the above methods. These isolates are distinct from other sheep-origin enterohepatic Helicobacter species previously isolated. Conclusions: This study identifies sheep as H. canis reservoirs potentially important in zoonotic or foodborne transmission.