Contagiousness of H. pylori

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About H. pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a kind of microaerophilic bacterium, which thrives in the gastrointestinal tract of humans especially in the small intestine and the stomach. Aerophilic in nature, the H. pylori bacterium requires oxygen to survive.

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori

                                                                                                                                            

The H. pylori bacterium can be diagnosed with the help of a helicobacter pylori test. There are generally four kinds of tests, which go in diagnosing the bacteria. These are the blood antibody test, the urea breath test, the stomach biopsy and the stool antigen test.

Is Helicobacter pylori contagious?

Helicobacter pylori infection may spread from one person to another through close contact and exposure to stool and vomit. When a person encounters the feces of the infected person in ways such as cleaning a bathroom or changing a diaper then there are chances that he may also develop the infection. It is also known that mouth-to-mouth contact can also lead to the spread of the infection. This is because, researchers have found that H. pylori bacterium may be present in saliva and hence there are chances of spreading it through mouth-to-mouth contact. Furthermore, coming in contact with water, food or even the vomit material containing H. pylori bacteria also increase the chance of getting infected.

Treating H. pylori infection

This bacterium is the major cause of peptic ulcers in the world and can lead to stomach cancer. However, there is no need to panic as it can be effectively treated. The eradication of the bacterium from the stomach is one of the best ways to treat the Helicobacter pylori infection. For this, combinations of medications such as the proton pump inhibitors and histamine (H-2) blockers are used.
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