Helicobacter pylori : role of water on survival and transmission

The most important routes of transmission for Helicobacter pylori among the human population are not yet clearly identified. Since isolation of the bacterium outside the human host using standard culture techniques has been elusive so far, person-to-person (oral-oral, faecal-oral and gastro-oral) transmission is thought to be one of the most relevant pathways. However, environmental reservoirs, such as drinking water and associated biofilms, are thought to play a key role due to the subsistence of a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) form of the bacterium.