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Review
. 2023 Feb;28(1):e12945.
doi: 10.1111/hel.12945. Epub 2023 Jan 16.

Transmission routes and patterns of helicobacter pylori

Miao Duan  1   2   3 , Yueyue Li  1   2   3 , Jing Liu  1   2   3 , Wenlin Zhang  1   2   3 , Yi Dong  4 , Zhongxue Han  1   2   3 , Meng Wan  1   2   3 , Minjuan Lin  1   2   3 , Boshen Lin  1   2   3 , Qingzhou Kong  1   2   3 , Yuming Ding  1   2   3 , Xiaoyun Yang  1   2 , Xiuli Zuo  1   2   3 , Yanqing Li  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Transmission routes and patterns of helicobacter pylori

Miao Duan et al. Helicobacter. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Background and objective: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the stomach, can cause chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers, as well as gastric cancer as a Class I carcinogen. However, the modes of H. pylori transmission are not clear. This review aims to clarify the transmission routes and patterns of H. pylori and identify efficacious prevention measures.

Methods: Studies of H. pylori transmission were identified using PubMed, the Web of Science, and Cochrane Central; the retrieval deadline was October 2022.

Results: The transmission routes of H. pylori are discussed, focusing on the five primary transmission routes, namely fecal-oral, oral-oral, gastric-oral, anal-oral, and genital-oral. We propose that H. pylori is contracted through multiple transmission routes. Additionally, we summarize the key transmission patterns of H. pylori, including person-to-person and animal-to-human transmission, as well as foodborne and occupational exposure.

Conclusion: Fecal-oral appears to be the most common H. pylori transmission routes. Although the oral-oral pathway is also important, the evidence does not support that this route of transmission is universal. The gastric-oral route occurs primarily in children and patients who are prone to vomiting. Meanwhile, the anal-oral and genital-oral routes remain hypothetical. Person-to-person and foodborne infections represent the predominant transmission patterns of H. pylori, whereas strong environmental and occupational limitations are associated with animal-to-human and occupational exposure.

Keywords: helicobacter pylori; fecal-oral route; infection transmission; oral-oral route.

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References

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