Research Article
Amin A. Al-Sulami, Asaad M. R.
Abstract
A total of one hundred and fifty six sewage samples were collected from three regions in Basrah governorate namely Five miles, Al-Jame’eyat and Al-Ashar from February 2008 to February 2009. This study examined the possibility that sewage harbors Helicobacter pylori. Because of existing methods for the direct culture of H. pylori from sewage are unsuccessful, a modified Columbia urea agar and Monophasic-Diphasic culture set up have been exploited. As a result 76 isolates were identified as H. pylori using conventional techniques. Polymerase chain reaction technique was used to confirm the identity of H. pylori isolates using primers for 16S rRNA and Ure A gene. Only 6 isolates out of 76 gave positive results for the identification by PCR using 16S rRNA, and all of them were from Five miles region. Also, these 6 isolates have an identical biochemical profile. On other hand the 76 H. pylori isolates have not been confirmed by PCR using Ure A gene. These findings suggest that sewage may represent a reservoir for this bacterium and reveal that conventional tests for the identification of H. pylori are not sensitive enough to rely on. The fact that all the six isolates were from one region and one of them showed an RFLP pattern similar to those from clinical and drinking water may be of an epidemiologic significance.