Helicobacter pylori
Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that colonizes the stomach lining and can cause its chronic inflammation. An infection increases the risk of stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as certain forms of stomach cancer.
Detailed description
Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium that has adapted to life in the stomach. With the help of the enzyme urease, it can partially neutralize the stomach acid in its immediate surroundings, allowing it to survive in the stomach lining. The infection is often acquired during childhood and, if left untreated, usually persists for many years. Many infected people have no symptoms. In some of those affected, chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, or duodenal ulcers develop. In the long term, the infection can increase the risk of certain forms of stomach cancer.
Exactly how H. pylori is transmitted is not fully understood. Transmission likely occurs primarily from person to person, including through oral-oral or fecal-oral routes.
