Helicobacter pylori prevalence: Are the data totally reliable?

A recent retrospective study on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) prevalence was carried out from 2005 to 2017 on all children who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS) due to symptoms suggestive of peptic diseases e.g. dyspepsia, or symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding in Hong Kong region: 602 patients were included; 317 were girls and 285 were boys, mean age 13.4 years. From the results of the study, the authors hypothesized that the reduction in prevalence of H. pylori infection among adults and the decrease in the practice of sharing chopsticks during meals have led to a decrease in transmission of the bacteria among family members in Hong Kong.