Is there seasonal periodicity in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori?

The objective of the present study was to evaluate seasonal periodicity in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori. A prospective study was performed on 1076 consecutive patients who were investigated in our hospital over a 3-year span because of epigastric complaints. Our findings indicate a significant accumulation of positive Helicobacter pylori tests in October. Gastric acidity, gender, and age did not influence Helicobacter pylori infection significantly. There was no significant correlation between potential seasonal influence on the diagnosis of ulcer disease and the seasonal fluctuation of Helicobacter pylori infection. The seasonality was confirmed by cosinor analysis for the absolute frequencies of H. pylori infections and also for the number of cases positive for H. pylori per number of presenting patients per month. A seasonal concept of a sensitivity threshold for positive Helicobacter pylori testing is introduced, taking into account such factors as immune system, nutrition, and medication status.