Helicobacter pylori

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Gram stain Culture

Helicobacter pylori

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General information
- Taxonomy
  Family: Helicobacteriaceae
  
  Natural habitats
  Gastrointestinal mucosa of primates and animals.
  
  Clinical significance
  Helicobacter appears to be responsible for most cases or chronic active gastritis, and is most common known cause of peptic ulcer disease.
Gram stain
- Gram negative helical, curved or straight rods with rounded ends sometimes forming rare spiral shapes.
  
  0.3-0.6 x 1-10 µm
  
  In older culture, Helicobacter pylori cells become coccoid, with an associated decrease in ability to subculture.
Culture characteristics
- Microaerophilic, require 5-10% CO2 and high humidity.
  They are fastidious organism. They grow best at 37°C but not at 43°C and below 30°C. BA: translucent to pale grayish colonies of 0.5 to 1 mm in size.
Characteristics
References
- James Versalovic et al.(2011) Manual of Clinical Microbiology 10th Edition