Dietary risk factors associated with the transmission of Helicobacter pylori in Lima, Peru

The factors influencing the risk of acquisition of Helicobacter pylori infection are not well established. One hundred four children (0-17 years of age) requiring an endoscopy for the evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms had demographic and dietary data collected and biopsy specimens of the gastric antrum stained for the identification of H. pylori. The 52 (50%) infected subjects were significantly older than the uninfected ones with no difference in gender, crowding, source of drinking water, or exposure to domestic animals. Increased prevalence of infection was associated with increased consumption of food from street vendors, and decreased consumption of fruits in the subgroup that denied consuming food from street vendors. No association was found with consumption of fish, chicken, beef, beans, vegetables, rice, cheese, milk, and unboiled water. These findings support the role of food prepared under unhygienic conditions as a probable mechanism of transmission of H. pylori in developing countries.