Pathogens
Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori

Precautions

Standard Precautions

Susceptibilities

General Information

Spiral gram negative rod, highly motile.

Produces urease.

Humans are major reservoir.

Can establish lifelong colonization in stomach, but most patients are asymptomatic.

Fecal-oral transmission.

  • Peptic ulcer disease
  • Chronic gastritis
  • Gastric adenocarcinoma
  • Gastric MALT lymphoma

Urea breath test has excellent sensitivity and specificity for presence of bacterial urease activity.