A study on the transmission of helicobacter pylori from food prepared and consumed under hygienic and unhygienic conditions: A first study using biopsy samples

Abstract

Objective: A comparative analysis on transmis-sion of Helicobacter pylori in people who con-sumed food prepared in both hygienic and un-hygienic conditions. Method: The study was carried out in 1000 people across India. The Ra-tio of Male: female was 700: 300 with age group ranging from 20 -39. Three gastric biopsies were collected for identification of Helicobacter pylori. PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) ampli-fication was done by using 16srRNA primers. Result: The analysis showed the prevalence of H. pylori as 70.8% in individuals frequently con-suming food prepared under less hygienic con-dition (street vendor's food) whereas 60% (less prevalence) in individuals consuming food pre-pared under hygienic conditions. Conclusion: The results showed that most of the food that we consume daily is not involved much in the transmission of Helicobacter pylori. The study also showed that the street vendor's food is not directly involved in the transmission of this bacterium. The unhygienic preparation of food and poor personal hygiene play a vital role in the transmission of these bacteria.