SEROPREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN NEPAL - LOW-PREVALENCE IN AN ISOLATED RURAL VILLAGE

Objective To determine the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infec tion in Nepal. Design H. pylori infection was identified using a speci fic and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G. Study population Serum samples were collected from 1142 inhabitants (age range 4-93 years) from two villages: Kotyang, a rural isolated village (250 men, 210 women) and Bhadrakali, a suburban village of Kathmandu (334 men, 348 women).Results The overall prevale nce of H. pylori infection was 56.8%, while a significantly higher pre valence was found in the suburban village (Bhadrakali; 67.2%) than in the rural village (Kotyang; 41.5%). This difference was generally refl ected by the infection rate in the 10-14-year-old age-group (Bhadrakal i, 60% compared with Kotyang, 22.2%). The prevalence of infection sign ificantly increased with age, while no significant difference was foun d in the prevalence of infection by gender. There was no difference in H. pylori positivity between individuals with and without upper abdom inal symptoms in both villages. Conclusion There was a significant reg ional difference in the seroprevalence of H. pylori within Nepal, whic h showed lower prevalence in an isolated rural village. This differenc e was mainly caused by the different acquisition rate in teenagers, th us indicating that the teenage lifestyle of this particular environmen t seemed to be the major determinant in the acquisition of H. pylori i nfection in the population.