Helicobacter mustelae-associated Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

Helicobacter pylori in humans is associated with active, chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and most recently has been linked epidemiologically to gastric adenocarcinoma. A related organism, Helicobacter mustelae, naturally infects ferrets and also causes a persistent gastritis, a precancerous lesion, and focal glandular atrophy of the proximal antrum. In this report, we document the clinical presentation and histopathologic confirmation of H. mustelae-associated gastric adenocarcinoma in two middle-aged male ferrets. The ferret appears to be well suited to study the pathogenesis of naturally occurring Helicobacter sp.-induced gastric adenocarcinoma.