Evaluation of a Nested-PCR assay based on the phosphoglucosamine mutase gene (glmM) for the detection of Helicobacter pylori from raw milk

Helicobacter pylori is an organism widespread in the human population and sometimes responsible for serious illnesses. Since H. pylori has been detected in Italy from an high percentage of sheep milk samples, it has been hypothesized that contaminated milk, may act as a vehicle of transmission of the microorganism to humans. In this work, a Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction approach has been used to detect H. pylori phosphoglucosamine mutase gene (glmM) from sheep, goat and cow milk artificially contaminated with wild H. pylori strains isolated from human gastric biopsies and the reference strain (H. pylori ATCC 43504). The technique showed a high sensitivity of 3 CFU/ml and proved to be both specific and rapid, The authors suggest that it could be used as a sensitive method for a rapid screening of sheep, goat and cow milk samples during the microbiological control of these large consumed foods.