title: Helicobacter pylori infection in the Colombian Andes: a population-based study of transmission pathways.
abstract: In 1992, the authors studied Helicobacter pylori infection and exposures relevant to person-to-person, waterborne, foodborne, and zoonotic transmission in a census sample of 684 2-9-year-old children in Aldana, Nariño, a rural community in the Colombian Andes. H. pylori prevalence, as determined by the 13C-urea breath test, was 69%, and prevalence increased from 53% in 2 year-olds to 87% in 9 year-olds. Beginning at 3 years of age, a higher percentage of males compared with females were infected. Odds ratios were estimated by multivariate logistic regression to control for mutual confounding by transmission-pathway proxy variables and socioeconomic indicators. Among transmission-pathway proxies, the strongest predictor of H. pylori status was the number of persons who lived in the home, with the number of children apparently being of greater importance than the number of adults. Swimming in rivers, streams, or pools increased the odds of infection, as did using streams as a drinking water source. Children who frequently consumed raw vegetables were more likely to have the infection, and children who had contact with sheep also had increased prevalence odds. Because the results did not implicate a single mode of transmission, the possibility of multiple pathways is indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Tenganá Aux
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: DeLany
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guerrero Pepinosa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López Quiñones
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Collazos Parra
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014508:Urea / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014508:Urea