From the Guidelines
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infections are primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route, with H. pylori also being transmitted through the oral-oral route, and C. difficile often acquired in healthcare settings. The most common modes of transmission for these infections can be summarized as follows:
- H. pylori is typically transmitted within families or close living quarters, through contact with contaminated food, water, or sharing utensils with an infected person 1.
- C. difficile is primarily acquired through the fecal-oral route, with healthcare settings being the most common source of infection, and can survive on surfaces for months, making proper hand hygiene and infection control measures crucial 1. Key factors that increase transmission risk include:
- Poor sanitation and crowded living conditions for H. pylori 1
- Healthcare settings, particularly for C. difficile, where contaminated surfaces, medical equipment, and healthcare workers' hands can serve as transmission vectors 1
- Antibiotic use, which disrupts normal gut flora and increases the risk of C. difficile infection 1 Prevention measures for both infections include:
- Proper hand hygiene, with alcohol-based hand sanitizers or soap and water, especially after using the toilet, handling diapers, or before preparing food 1
- Safe food handling practices, including avoiding unpasteurized dairy products and undercooked meat 1
- Appropriate antibiotic stewardship and infection control measures in healthcare settings 1
From the Research
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) Transmission
- The most likely modes of transmission for H. pylori are person-to-person, either by the oral-oral route or the fecal-oral route 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Fecal-oral transmission appears to be the most common route, with evidence suggesting that H. pylori can survive in water and be transmitted through contaminated food and water 2, 5
- Oral-oral transmission is also possible, with H. pylori having been detected in saliva, dental plaque, and vomitus 2, 4, 6
- Other potential routes of transmission include gastric-oral, anal-oral, and genital-oral, although the evidence for these routes is less clear 5
- Person-to-person transmission is supported by the higher incidence of infection among institutionalized children and adults, and the clustering of H. pylori infection within families 2, 4
Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) Transmission
- There are no research papers provided to assist in answering this question regarding the transmission of C. difficile infections.
Common Factors
- Poor socioeconomic status, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, and contaminated food and water are all significant risk factors for the acquisition of H. pylori infection 2, 3, 4
- Attention to food contamination sources and controlling them may prevent the transmission of pathogens associated with health 3