Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria

• A two-step PCR-based assay of a small region of the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria can help detect H. pylori infection and also identify clarithromycin-resistant bacteria and those that are drug-sensitive in six-seven hours has been developed by a team of researchers from the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata.
• Presently, as it takes three-four weeks to culture the bacteria and carry out drug-sensitivity tests, drug-resistant studies of H. pylori are rarely carried out.

ABOUT THE INFECTION

• In India, pylori infections affect 60-70% of the population.
• Most of the infections caused by the bacterium H. pylori are asymptomatic, but 10–15% of them develop peptic ulcer disorders or stomach cancer.
• Thus pylori infection is one of the robust known risk factors for gastric cancer.
• pylori infection is often acquired during childhood and remains in the stomach throughout life if not treated with antibiotics effectively.
• So, if someone suffers from gastroduodenal diseases along with the detection of H. pylori infection, eradication of the bacteria provides the most effective treatment.