Helicobacter pylori Strains Isolated from Raw Poultry Meat in the Shahrekord Region, Iran: Frequency and Molecular Characteristics

Even though Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a serious pathogen, its origin is unknown. Poultry (chicken, turkey, quail, goose, and ostrich) is consumed as a regular protein source by many people across the world; therefore, sanitary ways of delivering poultry for food are important for global health. As a result, the distribution of the virulence genes cagA, vacA, babA2, oipA, and iceA in H. pylori isolates in poultry meat, as well as their antibacterial resistance, was investigated. A Wilkins Chalgren anaerobic bacterial medium was used to cultivate 320 samples of raw poultry meat. Disk diffusion and multiplex-PCR were used to investigate both antimicrobial resistance and genotyping patterns. H. pylori was found in 20 of 320 (6.25 %) raw chicken meat samples. The highest incidence of H. pylori was found in chicken raw meat (15%), whereas no isolate was recovered from goose or quail raw meat (0.00%). Resistance to ampicillin (85%), tetracycline (85%), and amoxicillin (75%) were the most commonly detected in the tested H. pylori isolates. The percentage of H. pylori isolates with a multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index value of more than 0.2 was 17/20 (85%). The most prevalent genotypes detected were VacA (75%), m1a (75%), s2 (70%) and m2 (65%), and cagA (60%). The most typically detected genotype patterns were s1am1a (45 %), s2m1a (45 %), and s2 m2 (30%). babA2, oipA+, and oipA- genotypes were found in 40%, 30%, and 30% of the population, respectively. In summary, fresh poultry meat was polluted by H. pylori, with the babA2, vacA, and cagA genotypes being more prevalent. The simultaneous occurrence of vacA, cagA, iceA, oipA, and babA2 genotypes in antibiotic-resistant H. pylori bacteria raises a serious public health concern regarding the consumption of raw poultry. Future research should evaluate antimicrobial resistance among H. pylori isolates in Iran.