Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) Hospitals, Hyderabad on 8th November launched Barry Marshall Centre for H Pylori Research, billed as the first centre focused on the study and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections.
About H. pylori
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that can live in the stomach. People usually get it as children, and it can stay in the body for years without causing problems.
- Even though the stomach has strong acid, H. pylori survives by making a substance that weakens the acid. Over time, this bacteria can harm the stomach’s protective layer, leading to irritation and sometimes causing painful sores called ulcers.
- H. Pylori can be transmitted from person to person, primarily through saliva.
- Australian physician Barry Marshall won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology (Medicine) for the discovery of the bacterium and its link to ulcers and gastritis.
- Contaminated food, water or poor hygiene especially in areas with crowded living conditions or limited access to clean water and sanitation also contribute to its spread.
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections affect an estimated 50% to 60% of the population in India and constitute a significant public health challenge.
- This bacterial infection, which often begins in childhood, is almost 10 times more prevalent than diabetes in the country and is a major cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers and even stomach cancer.
