HOW COMMON IS H. PYLORI INFECTION?
There is a great deal of geographic variability in the percent of the population infected with H. pylori. In the United States and other developed countries, evidence of infection is unusual during childhood but becomes more common during adulthood. More specifically, evidence of infection as determined by blood testing (ie, serologic evidence) is rarely found before age 10. However, it increases to up to 10 percent in those between ages 18 to 30 and up to 50 percent in those older than age 60. Within any age group, H. pylori infection appears to be more frequent in blacks, Hispanics, and individuals living under lower socioeconomic circumstances.
