Helicobacter suis

Lore & Background

Helicobacter suis is a species within the Helicobacter genus of Gram-negative bacteria. It is detected in the stomachs of its natural hosts, pigs and nonhuman primates. Reports indicate that humans, including children, may become infected through close contact with infected pigs or by eating raw pork from infected pigs.

Reader's Guide

Helicobacter suis is significant because it is one of the non-Helicobacter pylori species that can cause gastrointestinal diseases in humans, including stomach inflammation, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, nonlymphoma stomach cancers, and extranodal marginal B cell lymphomas of the stomach. It is grouped with four other species—Helicobacter bizzozeronii, Helicobacter salomonis, Helicobacter felis, and Helicobacter heilmannii s.s.—under the term Helicobacter heilmannii sensu lato. These infections are considered zoonotic, spreading from animals to humans. Diagnosis of H. suis and related species is important because some infections have been successfully treated and cured using antibiotic regimens such as amoxicillin, clarithromycin, plus a proton pump inhibitor, or metronidazole, clarithromycin, plus a proton pump inhibitor. The bacterium's association with raw pork consumption and animal contact highlights a public health concern, though its role in other diseases remains under study.

Did You Know?

• H. suis is a Gram-negative bacterium in the Helicobacter genus.
• It is naturally found in the stomachs of pigs and nonhuman primates.