Prevalence and detection of Helicobacter pylori in raw cows' and goats' milk in selected farms in the Czech Republic

Helicobacter pylori is currently found in more than a half of the human population and is the cause of serious gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis, gastric ulcers or adenocarcinoma. H. pylori infection can be transmitted to humans through contaminated raw materials and food of animal origin. In this study, individual cows' milk samples (n = 77) and individual goats' milk samples (n = 52) from two farms in Moravia (Czech Republic) were analysed. The classical culture method and the nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) method were used for detection of H. pylori. The culture method did not demonstrate the presence of H. pylori in any of the examined samples. Using the nested PCR method, 31 samples (40 %) of raw cows' milk and 30 samples (58 %) of raw goats' milk were positive for the presence of H. pylori. The study demonstrated that nested-PCR was highly sensitive for the detection of H. pylori in raw milk samples. The results of the study showed the presence of H. pylori DNA in a high percentage of both cows' and goats' raw milk samples, indicating a high possibility of inter-animal transmission within individual farms.