Risk of Infection with Helicobacter pylori in Different Groups of Hospital Workers

Helicobacter(H.) pylori is a major etiological factor in chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric adenocarcinoma. The mode and route of transmission of H. pylori are still uncertain, but there is a strong evidence for person-to-person transmission via the oro-oral or gastro-oral route or via the fecal-oral route. Persons involved in patient care are likely to be at higher risk of H. pylori infection than the general population if H. pylori is transmitted from person-to-person. However, detailed studies about the occupational risk in hospital workers are scarce, especially in Korea which is a high prevalent area of H. pylori infection. The purpose of this study was to determine whether different groups of hospital workers are at increased risk of acquiring H. pylori.

The staff members were assigned to four groups : 1) medical staff(n=39), 2) nursing staff(n=267), 3) medical technicians and pharmacists(n=48), 4) nonmedical staff(n=163). Serum antibodies for H. pylori were measured by ELISA GAP IgG Helicobacter pylori kit(Bio-Rad Lab, USA)(cut-off value ; 15 U/mL).

The overall seropositivity was 70.4%(364/517). The seroprevalence of H. pylori was 64% in group I, 69.7% in group II, 66.7% in group III, and 74.2% in group IV(not significant). Seroprevalence increased by a little with age, but it was not statistically significant. There was no difference of seroprevalence between men(75%) and women(68.6%).

It was thought that the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Korean hospital workers is high and since there was no difference of seropositivity between medical and non-medical staffs, occupational exposure to patients does not increase the rate of infection with H. pylori.