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Helicobacter heilmannii bacteria

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 11:20 am
by power1
Hi helico folks,

Probably seen me posting alot.

I have some question related to the above "Helicobacter heilmannii" that causes chronic gastritis.
Would like to know more about this Gram-Negative bacteria.

a) Does this happens in children only?
b) Mode of transmission even from animals?
c) Do other h.pylori antibiotic supposedly clears this Gram-negative as well?.
d) Unable to differentiate which Gram bacteria via UBT C13?.


// Excerpt from some med-discussion:

Diagnosis of the infection is difficult (5). There is currently no serologic test available. Because of inconstant and low urease activity, the 13C urea breath test result may occasionally be positive. Thus a considerable number of patients with H. heilmannii infection may have. H. pylori infection diagnosed when diagnosis is made only on the basis of the 13C urea breath test. Culture is difficult and so far only practicable in experimental settings. H. heilmannii may therefore only be detected morphologically on histologic sections. This makes a strong case for endoscopic evaluation of children with suspected gastritis or ulceration, not only to assess gastrointestinal disease, but also to make a correct diagnosis of cause.

There are only anecdotal reports on the treatment of H. heilmannii. It has been reported recently that treatment with omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole was not effective in a patient with duodenal ulcer disease caused by H. heilmannii; the patient had to be treated with omeprazole, tetracycline, metronidazole and De-Nol (6). However, in our patient, treatment with omerprazole, amoxycillin, and clarithromycin for 2 weeks was sufficient for eradication of the bacteria. Nevertheless, controlled studies are certainly needed.

Re: Helicobacter heilmannii bacteria

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 11:42 pm
by Helico_expert
Helicobacter heilmannii is just like helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter is very host specific. Normally human strain will not cross infect animal and vice versa. That's why in 1984, Prof. Marshall was not able to find an animal model to do the experiment and he himself had to drink the bacteria to proof that it is the organism that cause stomach gastritis.

H. Heilmannii is normally in the cats, dogs, and rats. These three animal hosts share this strain because they have been chasing each other for generations.

When a human is very close to these infected animal, it is possible that the bacteria finally get the right mutation and jump host and infect human. Just like SARS jumped from Avian, HIV from monkeys and Ebola from the flying fox.

So far, H. Heilmannii is known to cause the same disease as H. pylori. Normal diagnostic test, such as breath test, cannot differentiate between H. heilmannii and H. pylori. Stool antigen test and blood test may even miss H. heilmannii because the diagnostic kit may be too specific to H. pylori.

H. Heilmannii can be treated exactly like H. pylori and may develop resistance just like H. pylori.