AUTHOR=Javed Sundus , Gul Farzana , Javed Kashaf , Bokhari Habib 

TITLE=Helicobacter pullorum: An Emerging Zoonotic Pathogen

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00604

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.00604

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Helicobacter pullorum</italic> (<italic>H</italic>.pullorum) commonly colonizes the gastrointestinal tract of poultry causing gastroenteritis. The bacterium may be transmitted to humans through contaminated meat where it has been associated with colitis and hepatitis. Despite the high prevalence of <italic>H. pullorum</italic> observed in poultry, little is known about the mechanisms by which this bacterium establishes infection in host and its virulence determinants. In this article we aim to provide an overview of this emerging zoonotic pathogen; its general characteristics, hosts, prevalence, and transmission as well as its pathogenic potential. We also discuss possible control strategies and risk of disease emergence.</p>