''Helicobacter suis'' (''H. suis'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

within the '' Helicobacter''

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of Gram-negative bacteria. '' Helicobacter pylori'' is by far the best known ''Helicobacter'' species, primarily because humans infected with it may develop

gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organ (biology), organs of the digestive syste ...

diseases such as stomach inflammation,

stomach ulcers Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines ...

duodenal ulcers Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines ...

stomach cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a cancer that develops from the lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a number of subtypes, including gastric adenocarcinomas. Lymph ...

s of the nonlymphoma type, and various subtypes of extranodal marginal zone lymphomass, e.g. those of the stomach, small intestines,

large intestines The large intestine, also known as the large bowel, is the last part of the gastrointestinal tract and of the digestive system in tetrapods. Water is absorbed here and the remaining waste material is stored in the rectum as feces before being rem ...

, and rectumn. ''H. pylori'' is also associated with the development of

bile duct cancer Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts. Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever. Light colored stool ...

and has been associated with a wide range of other diseases although its role in the development of many of these other diseases requires further study. Humans infected with ''H. suis'' may develop some of the same gastrointestinal diseases - stomach inflammation, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, stomach cancers that are not lymphomas, and extranodal marginal B cell lymphomas of the stomach. Other non-''H. pylori'' Helicobacter species that are known to be associated with these gastrointestinal diseases are ''

Helicobacter bizzozeronii ''Helicobacter bizzozeronii'' is a species within the ''Helicobacter'' genus of Gram-negative bacteria. ''Helicobacter pylori'' is by far the best known ''Helicobacter'' species, primarily because humans infected with it may develop gastrointesti ...

, Helicobacter salomonis, Helicobacter felis,'' and '' Helicobacter heilmannii s.s''. Because of their disease associations, these four ''Helicobacter'' species plus ''H. suis'' are often group together and termed ''

Helicobacter heilmannii sensu lato ''Helicobacter heilmannii sensu lato'' refers to a group of bacterial species within the ''Helicobacter'' genus. The ''Helicobacter'' genus consists of at least 40 species of spiral-shaped (also described as corkscrew-shaped) flagellated, Gram-n ...

''. ''H. suis'' bacteria are detected in the stomachs of their natural hosts - pigs and nonhuman primates. Reports suggest that individuals, including children, are infected with this bacterium by having close contact with infected pigs (or possibly other, unidentified infected animals) or by eating raw pork taken from infected pigs (''H. suis'' remains viable for up to 48 hours in fresh raw pork): ''H. heilmanni s.l.''-associated diseases, including those associated with ''H. suis'', appear to be

zoonotic diseases A zoonosis (; plural zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a bacterium, virus, parasite or prion) that has jumped from a non-human (usually a vertebrate) to a human. ...

, i.e.,

infectious diseases An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

that are caused by

pathogen In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

that spread from animals to humans. It is important to diagnose ''H. felis'' as well as other ''

'' infections in patients with the cited upper gastrointestinal tract diseases, including in particular extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of the stomach, because some of them have been successfully treated and cured using antibiotic-based drug regimens (e.g. amoxicillin, clarithromycin, plus a proton pump inhibitor or

metronidazole Metronidazole, sold under the brand name Flagyl among others, is an antibiotic and antiprotozoal medication. It is used either alone or with other antibiotics to treat pelvic inflammatory disease, endocarditis, and bacterial vaginosis. It is ef ...

, clarithromycin, plus a proton pump inhibitor) directed against the instigating bacterium.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10294494 Gram-negative bacteria Pathogenic bacteria Campylobacterota Infectious causes of cancer Carcinogenesis Lymphoma Bacteria described in 1991