Autor(es):
Azevedo, N. F. 
; Pinto, A. R. ; Reis, N. ; Pacheco, A. P. ; Keevil, C. W. ; Vieira, M. J.
Data: 2005
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/4436
Origem: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Descrição
Helicobacter pylori has a major role in promoting risk of peptic ulcer disease
and non-cardia adenocarcinoma of the stomach and is present in more than
80% of the Portuguese population. The route of transmission of H. pylori to
humans remains a controversial question, but it has been suggested that the
bacterium may survive in water supplies by becoming associated with
autochthonous microorganisms present in biofilms formed in such systems.
Therefore, different experimental conditions were tested in terms of the
influence in the adhesion of water-exposed H. pylori to surfaces. The bacteria
adhered in higher numbers in the absence of shear stresses, indicating biofilms
formed on the surfaces exposed to well-water as preferential places for the
location of the bacteria. Temperature, type of material and inoculation
concentration appeared to have no effect in the extent of adhesion. However,
cell morphology was largely dependent on the support material, with spiral
bacteria, associated with the infectious form of H. pylori, subsisting for longer
periods on non-polymeric substrata. Nevertheless, after viability-staining of the
adhered pathogen, it was observed that H. pylori would start to become nonviable
after 48 hours, which indicates that co-aggregation with other species
might be necessary for the survival of the bacteria. This represents the first
study of H. pylori behaviour in water-exposed abiotic surfaces.
