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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffH. pylori infection is caused by the H. pylori bacterium. H. pylori is primarily passed from person to person through direct contact with saliva or fecal matter. H. pylori can also be spread through untreated water.
H. pylori bacteria enter your body through your mouth and passes into your digestive system. The stomach and its stomach acid make a hostile environment for many bacteria. But the H. pylori bacterium is especially well-adapted for survival in the stomach. It produces an enzyme that, through a series of biochemical processes, creates a low-acid buffer zone for itself.
- Graham DY, et al. Helicobacter pylori. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/134273666-3/0/1389/0.html. Accessed April 28, 2009.
- Fuccio L, et al. Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. BMJ. 2008;337:746.
- H. pylori and peptic ulcer. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hpylori/index.htm. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- Talley NJ, et al. Gastric cancer consensus conference recommends Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment in asymptomatic persons from high-risk populations to prevent gastric cancer. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2008;103:510.
