Question
Today, a 20-month-old baby used grandpa’s chopsticks to have a bite of rice. If grandpa has Helicobacter pylori, can this single act of eating lead to the baby getting infected?
Answer
Helicobacter pylori primarily exists in the stomach, oral cavity, and feces of infected individuals. It can be transmitted among people through the following routes: oral-oral transmission, where it spreads from the infected person’s mouth to the uninfected person through utensils or soup; fecal-oral transmission, where the infected person’s feces contaminate water sources and food, thereby spreading to consumers or users; and vomit-to-mouth transmission, where the infected person’s vomit spreads to healthy individuals, especially in places like nurseries. Although there is a chance of transmission with such behavior, it does not necessarily mean that the child will be infected.