Specific detection of cultivable Helicobacter pylori cells from wastewater treatment plants

Helicobacter pylori is present in surface water and wastewater, and biofilms in drinking water systems have been reported as possible reservoirs of H. pylori. However, its ability to survive in an infectious state in the environment is hindered because it rapidly loses its cultivability. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of cultivable and therefore viable H. pylori in wastewater treatment plants to understand the role of wastewater in the pathogen's transmission.

A modified filter technique was used to obtain a positive H. pylori culture, and specific detection of this pathogen was achieved with FISH and PCR techniques.

A total of six positive H. pylori cultures were obtained from the water samples, and molecular techniques positively identified H. pylori in 21 culture-negative samples.

The combination of a culturing procedure after sample filtration followed by the application of a molecular method, such as PCR or FISH, provides a specific tool for the detection, identification, and direct visualization of cultivable and therefore viable H. pylori cells from complex mixed communities such as water samples.