Review Seeks Most Common H pylori Transmission Pathways

The most common transmission route of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) is likely fecal-oral, according to a review published in the journal Helicobacter.

A research team from Shandong University in China team investigated studies of H pylori through October 2022 to clarify transmission routes and patterns. The primary routes of H pylori transmission include fecal-oral, oral-oral, gastric-oral, anal-oral, and genital-oral, the review found.

“We propose that H pylori is contracted through multiple transmission routes,” researchers wrote.

The fecal–oral pathway appears to be the most frequent. Oral-oral transmission is also common, though evidence suggests it is not universal. Patients prone to vomiting are most at risk for gastric-oral transmission, the review explained. The anal-oral and genital-oral routes are hypothetical at this point.

Meanwhile, key patterns of H pylori transmission include person-to-person, animal-to-human, foodborne infections, and occupational exposure, according to the review.

“Person-to-person and foodborne infections represent the predominant transmission patterns of H pylori,” the team reported, “whereas strong environmental and occupational limitations are associated with animal-to-human and occupational exposure.”

Reference
Duan M, Li Y, Liu J, et al. Transmission routes and patterns of helicobacter pylori. Helicobacter. 2023;28(1):e12945. doi:10.1111/hel.12945