What is Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori)?

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Helicobacter pylori (also known as H. Pylori) is a spiral-shaped bacterium that lives in the lining of the stomach. If H. pylori bacteria is left untreated, it can lead to digestive illness, including gastritis (the irritation and inflammation of the lining of the stomach), peptic ulcer disease and even stomach cancer later in life.

h pylori bacteria

But even H. Pylori bacteria can cause illness, experts believe that most H. pylori infection are “silent” and produce no symptoms.

Research shows about two-thirds of the world’s population is infected with H. pylori bacteria. H. pylori cases are found common in most of the developing countries especially in the areas of lower social economic conditions. Most of the time, people got infected by H Pylori before the age of 5.

How people get infected by H. Pylori?

The most common way people get infected by H. Pylori is from contaminated food and water.

* H Pylori bacteria picture taken from http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Helicobacter

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