Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Helicobacter Species, “ Helicobacter macacae ,” from Rhesus Monkeys with and without Chronic Idiopathic Colitis

Abstract

Chronic idiopathic colitis is a common clinical entity in young captive rhesus monkeys. Eight isolates, cultured from five monkeys in colony 1 with endemic diarrhea and three from colony 2 without diarrhea, were grown under microaerobic conditions on selective agar and were classified by full 16S rRNA sequence, biochemical, and phenotypic analysis as a novel helicobacter, “ Helicobacter macacae ” (proposed name). All eight strains of H. macacae had 99.5% identical 16S rRNA sequences.