Faculty of Engineering Catholic University of Portugal, Estrada Octávio Pato, Rio de Mouro, Portugal.
Int J Food Microbiol. 2010 Mar 31;138(1-2):1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.01.016. Epub 2010 Jan 18.
Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium that has colonized the human gastric mucosa. This infection is very common and affects more than half of the human population. The prevalence is however unbalanced between rural developing areas (more than 80%) and urban developed areas (less than 40%). H. pylori is responsible for several pathologies, such as gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer but its transmission pathway is still not clear. The risk factors for H. pylori infection include poor social and economic development; poor hygienic practices; absence of hygienic drinking water; and unsanitary prepared food. There is evidence supporting a gastro-oral, oral-oral and faecal-oral transmission, but no predominant mechanism of transmission has been yet identified. Transmission may occur in a vertical mode (e.g. from parents to child) or in a horizontal mode (across individuals or from environmental contamination). In either case, the involvement of water and food cannot be excluded as vehicles or sources of infection. Indirect evidence of presence of H. pylori in water and food, namely the detection of its DNA and survival studies after artificial contamination of food and water has been described. This paper reviews data both favourable and against the role of water and food in the transmission of H. pylori, exploring their role as a potential transmission vehicle for person-to-person and food-chain transmission. The likelihood of the transmission pathway in developing rural and developed urban areas appears to be different. In developed areas, person-to-person transmission within families appears to be dominant, while in the rural developing areas the transmission pathway appears to be more complex. In this later case, the transmission by contaminated food, water, or via intensive contact between infants and non-parental caretakers may have a greater influence than within-family transmission.
幽门螺杆菌是一种革兰氏阴性微需氧菌，已定植于人类胃黏膜。这种感染非常普遍，影响了超过一半的人口。然而，农村发展中地区（超过 80%）和城市发达地区（不到 40%）之间的流行率并不平衡。幽门螺杆菌可引起多种疾病，如胃炎、消化性溃疡和胃癌，但它的传播途径仍不清楚。幽门螺杆菌感染的危险因素包括社会经济发展水平低、卫生习惯差、缺乏卫生饮用水以及不卫生的制备食物。有证据表明存在胃-口、口-口和粪-口传播，但尚未确定主要的传播机制。传播可能以垂直模式（例如，从父母到子女）或水平模式（在个体之间或从环境污染）发生。在任何一种情况下，都不能排除水和食物作为感染的载体或来源。已经描述了水和食物中存在幽门螺杆菌的间接证据，即检测到其 DNA 以及在人工污染食物和水后其存活研究。本文综述了水和食物在幽门螺杆菌传播中作用的有利和不利数据，探讨了它们作为人际传播和食物链传播潜在传播媒介的作用。在发展中农村地区和发达城市地区，传播途径的可能性似乎不同。在发达地区，家庭内的人际传播似乎占主导地位，而在农村发展中地区，传播途径似乎更加复杂。在后一种情况下，受污染的食物、水传播，或婴儿与非父母照顾者之间的密切接触，可能比家庭内传播更有影响。
