Transmission of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is found predominantly in human gastric mucosa. Transfer of the bacterium remains an open topic, but it is likely that infection is usually acquired at a young age, particularly where lower socio-economic conditions prevail. Transmission via an external source such as water supply is a possibility but, in general, infection is probably passed from person to person. Arguments for and against faecal-oral, oral-oral and gastric-oral transmission have been presented, but the dominance of one of these routes is still to be determined.