A COMMUNITY-BASED SEROEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN MEXICO

A nationwide community-based survey for Helicobacter pylori infection had not been done, This study sought to determine the seroprevalence o f infection in Mexico, and the socioeconomic and demographic variables that are risk factors for infection. The survey assessed 11,605 sera from a sample population representing persons ages 1-90 years from all socioeconomic and demographic levels and from all regions of Mexico. Antibodies against H, pylori were studied by ELISA using whole cell an tigen. Among the findings were that 66% of the population was infected and that age was the strongest risk factor for infection. By age 1 ye ar, 20% were infected and by age 10 years, 50% were infected. Crowding (odds ratio [OR], 1.4), low educational level (OR, 2.42), and low soc ioeconomic level (OR, 1.43) were risk factors for infection. Prevalenc e was similar in urban and in rural communities (OR, 0.95), This study is the largest community-based seroepidemiologic study of H. pylori t o date.