BACKGROUND: Spouse-to-spouse transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection still remains controversial. METHODS: We studied the prevalence of H. pylori infection among spouses of H. pylori-positive or -negative individuals and looked for intraspousal transmission. Twenty-five couples were studied. Initially, one individual per couple was selected as the index subject. Spouses of these H. pylori-positive or -negative index individuals underwent screening for H. pylori by serology, the rapid urease test and histology. Those couples in whom only one spouse was positive were followed up and H. pylori status was re-evaluated using the above tests after approximately 1 year in the H. pylori-negative spouse. RESULTS: Of 25 randomly selected index subjects, 18 were H. pylori positive and seven were negative. There was no significant difference in age, sex, socioeconomic status, presence of dyspeptic symptoms, duration of marriage and number of children in these index subjects. Spouses of H. pylori-infected index subjects had a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori infection than the spouses of H. pylori-negative index subjects (83.3 vs 28.5%; P < 0.01). Age, sex, socioeconomic status, dyspeptic symptoms, duration of marriage and number of children were not different in H. pylori-positive or -negative spouses of H. pylori-positive index subjects. There were five such couples in whom only one spouse was H. pylori positive initially. At follow up, three of these H. pylori-negative spouses became positive. These findings suggest person-to-person transmission or common source exposure within couples.
BACKGROUND: Spouse-to-spouse transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection still remains controversial. METHODS: We studied the prevalence of H. pylori infection among spouses of H. pylori-positive or -negative individuals and looked for intraspousal transmission. Twenty-five couples were studied. Initially, one individual per couple was selected as the index subject. Spouses of these H. pylori-positive or -negative index individuals underwent screening for H. pylori by serology, the rapid urease test and histology. Those couples in whom only one spouse was positive were followed up and H. pylori status was re-evaluated using the above tests after approximately 1 year in the H. pylori-negative spouse. RESULTS: Of 25 randomly selected index subjects, 18 were H. pylori positive and seven were negative. There was no significant difference in age, sex, socioeconomic status, presence of dyspeptic symptoms, duration of marriage and number of children in these index subjects. Spouses of H. pylori-infected index subjects had a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori infection than the spouses of H. pylori-negative index subjects (83.3 vs 28.5%; P < 0.01). Age, sex, socioeconomic status, dyspeptic symptoms, duration of marriage and number of children were not different in H. pylori-positive or -negative spouses of H. pylori-positive index subjects. There were five such couples in whom only one spouse was H. pylori positive initially. At follow up, three of these H. pylori-negative spouses became positive. These findings suggest person-to-person transmission or common source exposure within couples.
Authors: Mårten Kivi; Ylva Tindberg; Mikael Sörberg; Thomas H Casswall; Ragnar Befrits; Per M Hellström; Carina Bengtsson; Lars Engstrand; Marta Granström Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2003-12 Impact factor: 5.948
Authors: Dolores Sgambato; Giulio Visciola; Emanuele Ferrante; Agnese Miranda; Lorenzo Romano; Concetta Tuccillo; Francesco Manguso; Marco Romano Journal: United European Gastroenterol J Date: 2018-09-06 Impact factor: 4.623
Authors: Phoebe Aitila; Michael Mutyaba; Simon Okeny; Maurice Ndawula Kasule; Rashid Kasule; Frank Ssedyabane; Benson Okongo; Richard Onyuthi Apecu; Enoch Muwanguzi; Caesar Oyet Journal: J Trop Med Date: 2019-03-07