title: Contaminated water as a source of Helicobacter pylori infection: A review.
abstract: Over the preceding years and to date, the definitive mode of human infection by Helicobacter pylori has remained largely unknown and has thus gained the interest of researchers around the world. Numerous studies investigated possible sources of transmission of this emerging carcinogenic pathogen that colonizes >50% of humans, in many of which contaminated water is mentioned as a major cause. The infection rate is especially higher in developing countries, where contaminated water, combined with social hardships and poor sanitary conditions, plays a key role. Judging from the growing global population and the changing climate, the rate is expected to rise. Here, we sum up the current views of the water transmission hypothesis, and we discuss its implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ramy K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.affiliation: Community Pharmacist, Al-Baharyia Oasis, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohammed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Khalifa
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt ; Division of Molecular Medicine, Charité Medical School, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Radwa R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Sharaf
keywords: Climate change; Epidemiology; IMS, immunomagnetic separation; Infectious diseases; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; VBNC, viable-but-non-culturable; Water crisis