Helicobacter pylori, Republic of Georgia

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Katrina Kretsinger, Emory University; Jeremy Sobel, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Nato Tarkhashvili, National Center for Disease Control; Neli Chakvetadze, National Center for Disease Control; Marina Moistrafishvili, National Center for Disease Control; Merab Sikharulidze, National Center for Disease Control; Ben D. Gold, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Marina Chubinidze, National Center for Disease Control; Paata Imnadze, National Center for Disease Control
• Language: English
• Date: 2005-05-01
• Publisher: CENTERS DISEASE CONTROL
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: 2005 CDC
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1105.040755
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 780
• End Page: 781
• Grant/Funding Information: Dr. Gold is supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, NIDDK (DK-53708).; This study was supported by a grant from the Biotechnology Engagement Program (BTEP) #13, Department of Health and Human Services.
• Keywords: Infectious Diseases; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Immunology
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Immunology

Abstract

To the Editor: Helicobacter pylori infection is a principal cause of chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer disease as well as gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (1). Poverty and crowding have been associated with infection epidemiologically (2,3). The Republic of Georgia has a per capita annual income of US $591, making it one of the poorest countries in the world (4,5). Georgia also reports a high annual incidence of gastric cancer, 17/100,000 population in 2002 (National Center for Disease Control, Tbilisi, unpub. data), which suggests an elevated prevalence of H. pylori infection. Testing and treatment for H. pylori are not practiced in this country, and diagnostic capacity for H. pylori is nonexistent. In October 2003, we conducted an exploratory pilot study of H. pylori infection to begin characterizing prevalence and risk factors for infection.