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Concomitant Infection of Helicobacter pylori and Intestinal Parasites: Burden, Sociodemographic and Clinical
Sara Mina1, Sara Daher2, Nour Mina3
1Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, 11-5020, Lebanon.
Insights
Helicobacter pylori and intestinal parasite co-infections are common in hospitalized children. H. pylori infection is linked to parasitic infections, overcrowding, and poor hygiene, suggesting integrated screening is needed.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Helicobacter pylori and intestinal parasites are prevalent in children, particularly in developing nations.
- Concomitant infections of H. pylori and intestinal parasites are under-documented.
- This study investigated the association between these infections in pediatric patients with upper gastrointestinal issues in Northern Lebanon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between intestinal parasites and H. pylori infection.
- To identify risk factors and clinical correlations of co-infections in hospitalized children and adolescents.
- To inform diagnostic and screening strategies for pediatric gastrointestinal complaints.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 297 hospitalized pediatric patients (1-15 years) with gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Analysis of socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics.
- Screening of stool samples for intestinal parasites and H. pylori infections.
Main Results:
- Prevalence: 6.4% intestinal parasites, 5.4% H. pylori, 11.8% co-infected.
- H. pylori infection significantly associated with parasitic infection (not specific species), overcrowding, and infrequent vegetable washing.
- Co-infections more prevalent in children of mothers with lower educational levels; H. pylori linked to gastric reflux, parasites to severe diarrhea.
Conclusions:
- A significant association exists between H. pylori and intestinal parasitic infections in pediatric patients.
- H. pylori screening may be beneficial alongside parasitic infection screening in children and adolescents.
- Findings highlight the importance of considering co-infections in the diagnosis of pediatric upper gastrointestinal complaints.
Background:
Helicobacter pylori and intestinal parasites are well-known for their high prevalence in children, especially in developing countries. However, their concomitant infections are poorly documented. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between intestinal parasites and H. pylori among hospitalized children and adolescents with upper gastrointestinal complaints in Northern Lebanon.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 297 hospitalized pediatric patients, aged between 1 and 15 years, who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms. The socio-demographic, lifestyle, and gastrointestinal characteristics of all participants were analyzed. Fresh stool samples were collected and screened for the presence of intestinal parasites and H. pylori infections.
Results:
6.4% of the patients were positive for intestinal parasitic infections, 5.4% were positive for H. pylori infection, and 11.8% were co-infected. The results of the Chi-square test showed that H. pylori infection is significantly associated with parasitic infection but not with a particular species. The most frequent coinfection was H. pylori-Entamoeba histolytica (77.1%). Moreover, H. pylori infection was associated with overcrowding and infrequent washing of vegetables before eating. The prevalence of co-infections increased in patients of mothers with a primary educational level or less. In regards to clinical characteristics, our findings showed a statistically significant relationship between i) gastric reflux and H. pylori, and ii) severe diarrhea and parasitic infection.
Conclusion:
Our data highlighted the association between H. pylori and intestinal parasitic infections. Thus, H. pylori detection could be taken into consideration while screening for parasitic infections in children and adolescents.
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