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Original Article

Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Infection among Children in Rasht, Northern Iran F Mansour-Ghanaei*, M Yousefi Mashhour, F Joukar, M Sedigh, AH Bagher-Zadeh, R Jafarshad Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center (GLDRC) Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

Abstract Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection usually occurs during childhood, especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection among children in primary schools of Rasht, a northern Iranian city. Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 961 primary school students in Rasht. Samples were randomly selected and stored at -20ºC until analysis. The stool assay was performed using the HP AgT kit. Results

Overall 475 boys and 486 girls, aged 7 to 11 years were evaluated. A total of 384 (40%) children were diagnosed as H. pylori positive by the stool test. A higher prevalence of H. pylori was found in the stools of individuals who consumed well water and municipal tap water when compared to boiled water (p