title: Gastroenteritis and transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection in households.
abstract: The mode of transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection is poorly characterized. In northern California, 2,752 household members were tested for H. pylori infection in serum or stool at a baseline visit and 3 months later. Among 1,752 person considered uninfected at baseline, 30 new infections (7 definite, 7 probable, and 16 possible) occurred, for an annual incidence of 7% overall and 21% in children <2 years of age. Exposure to an infected household member with gastroenteritis was associated with a 4.8-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-17.1) increased risk for definite or probable new infection, with vomiting a greater risk factor (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 6.3, CI 1.6-24.5) than diarrhea only (AOR 3.0, p = 0.65). Of probable or definite new infections, 75% were attributable to exposure to an infected person with gastroenteritis. Exposure to an H. pylori-infected person with gastroenteritis, particularly vomiting, markedly increased risk for new infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA. shnperry@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de la Luz Sanchez
authors.forename: Shufang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Haggerty
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perez-Perez
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parsonnet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000635:transmission*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies