Simple measures may prevent transmission of stomach ulcer bacteria

This is shown in a thesis at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. It is therefore possible to prevent the spread of the bacterium in developing countries through some fairly simple measures.

'Taking some cheap but powerful measures may prevent the spread of the bacterium. It could be enough to isolate vomiting patients especially from small children for a short period of time, since Helicobacter pylori is not able to survive for long outside the stomach. If isolation is not possible, it may suffice to pay extra attention to good hygiene', says doctoral student Anders Janzon.

The research team analysed the drinking water, lake water and wastewater in an area in Dhaka in Bangladesh, where the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is very common. The results show that while the diarrhoea bacterium ETEC is often present in the drinking water, Helicobacter pylori is not. Other studies have shown that new cases of Helicobacter pylori tend to pop up in connection with various diarrhoea illnesses, and this pointed the research team in the right direction.

'We analysed vomit and diarrhoea from cholera patients, and found large amounts of active Helicobacter pylori. We therefore conclude that vomit is a very likely source of new infections', says Janzon.

ABOUT HELICOBACTER PYLORI
Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common disease-causing bacteria among humans. Nearly 90% of the populations in developing countries are infected. The bacterium produces an enzyme that turns urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia, which in turn neutralises the gastric acid in the stomach. The infection can cause ulcers on the lining of the stomach and of the duodenum if it is left untreated, and these conditions can be deadly. The bacterium is also the main cause of stomach cancer.
For more information, please contact:
Anders Janzon, Master of Science in Engineering, telephone +47 (0)739 18 46 34,
The thesis was successfully defended.
The thesis is based on he following papers:
I.
Lothigius Å., Janzon A., Begum Y., Sjöling Å., Qadri F., Svennerholm A.-M. and Bölin I. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is detectable in water samples from an endemic area by real-time PCR. Journal of Applied Microbiology 2008 104 (4):1128-1136.
II.
Janzon A., Sjöling Å., Lothigius Å., Ahmed D., Qadri F. and Svennerholm A.-M. Failure To Detect Helicobacter pylori DNA in Drinking and Environmental Water in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Using Highly Sensitive Real-Time PCR Assays. Applied and Environmental Microbiology May 2009 75: 3039-3044
III.
Janzon A., Bhuiyan T., Lundgren A., Qadri F, Svennerholm A.-M. and Sjöling Å.. Presence of high numbers of transcriptionally active Helicobacter pylori in vomitus from Bangladeshi patients suffering from acute gastroenteritis. Submitted
IV.
Janzon A., Svennerholm AM and Sjöling Å. Helicobacter pylori virulence gene expression in a mouse model. Manuscript