Isolation and identification of Helicobacter pullorum from cecal content and liver of broiler poultry referred to veterinary clinics in Tabriz using culture and PCR methods

The potential role of Helicobacter pullorum as an emerging cause of foodborne infection and a common disease between humans and livestock has been proven. This bacterium has been isolated from the contents of the cecum, liver and duodenum of laying and broiler poultry, as well as from the contents of the digestive system and bile ducts in human cases of gastro-intestinal inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate Helicobacter pullorum infection in broiler poultry with symptoms of enteritis referred to one of the poultry clinics in Tabriz city. For this purpose, 70 samples of cecal contents and 70 liver samples from 14 broiler flocks were evaluated using bacterial culture and PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) methods. Based on the findings, 10 cecal content samples from 2 different herds were positive for the presence of Helicobacter pullorum bacteria in culture and molecular PCR tests, while none of the liver samples were positive in this respect. Considering the role of Helicobacter pullorum in causing mortality and damages in poultry farms and its related economic importance and the possibility of causing secondary carcass contamination during the slaughter due to presence of the bacterium in the digestive system of poultry as well as the zoonotic nature of the disease, therefore the above bacterium should always be considered as a health risk factor threatening the health of consumers.