Skip to main content
Log in

Use of Chopsticks for Eating and Helicobacter pylori Infection

  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Epidemiological data suggests that ethnic groupsusing chopsticks for eating have a higher prevalence ofH. pylori infection. This study investigated thecarriage of H. pylori in chopsticks after eating. Used chopsticks and saliva were collected fromasymptomatic individuals whose H. pylori status wasdetermined by [13C]urea breath test andserology. Both the saliva specimens and chopsticks werecultured and processed by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for the detection of H. pylori . Furthermore,chopsticks used by hospital staff in the cafeteria werepooled for the detection of H. pylori by bacteriologic culture and PCR. Sixty-nine volunteers wererecruited in the first study and 45 (65%) were diagnosedto have H. pylori infection. While all cultures werenegative, H. pylori was detected by PCR in the saliva from 15 (33%) infected subjects and in thechopsticks from one (2%). Among the 12 sets of pooledchopstick-washing studied, H. pylori was detected by PCRin two sets. This study showed that H. pylori was rarely detected in chopsticks after eating andhence, the risk of contracting this infection via theuse of chopsticks is low.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Graham DY, Malaty HM, Evans DG, Evans EJ, Klein PD, Adam E: Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori in an asymptomatic population in the United Status. Gastroenterology 100:1495–1501, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  2. Holcombe C, Omotara BA, Eldridge J, Jones DM: H. pylori, the most common bacterial infection in Africa: A random serological study. Am J Gastroenterol 87:28–30, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  3. Thomas JE, Gibson GR, Darboe MK, Dale A, Weaver LT: Isolation of Helicobacter pylori from human faeces. Lancet 14:1194–1195, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kelly SM, Pitcher MCL, Farmery SM, Gibson GR: Isolation of Helicobacter pylori from feces of patients with dyspepsia in the United Kingdom. Gastroenterology 107:1671–1674, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hazell SL, Mitchell HM, Hedges M, Shi X, Hu PJ, Li YY, Lee A, Reiss-Levy E: Hepatitis A and evidence against the community dissemination of Helicobacter pylori via faeces. J Infect Dis 170:686–689, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  6. Banatvala N, Lopez CR, Owen R, Abdi Y, Davies G, Hardie J, Feldmen R: Helicobac ter pylori in dental plaque. Lancet 341:380, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  7. Mapstone NP, Lynch DAF, Lewis FA, Axon ATR, Tompkins DS, Dixon MF, Quirke P: Identification of Helicobacter pylori DNA in the mouths and stomachs of patients with gastritis using PCR. J Clin Pathol 46:540–543, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ferguson DA, Li C, Patel NR, Mayberry WR, Chi DS, Thomas E: Isolation of Helicobacter pylori from saliva. J Clin Microbiol 31:2802–2804, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  9. Li C, Ha T, Ferguson DA, Chi DS, Zhao R, Patel NR, Krishnaswamy G, Thomas E: A newly developed PCR assay of H. pylori in gastric biopsy, saliva, and feces: Evidence of high prevalence of H. pylori in saliva supports oral transmission. Dig Dis Sci 41:2142–2149, 1996

    Google Scholar 

  10. Nammavar F, Roosendaal R, Kuipers EJ, de Groot P, van der Bijl MW, Pena AS, de Graff J: Presence of Helicobacter pylori in the oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach and feces of patients with gastritis. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 14:234–237, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  11. Shames B, Krajden S, Fuksa M, Babida C, Pennar JL: Evidence for the occurrence of the same strain of Campylobacter pylori in the stomach and dental plaque. J Clin Microbiol 27:2849–2850, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  12. Khandaker K, Palmer KR, Eastwood MA, Scott AC, Desai M, Owen RJ: DNA fingerprints of Helicobacter pylori from mouth and antrum of patients with chronic ulcer dyspepsia. Lancet 342:751, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  13. Chow TKF, Lambert JR, Wahlqvist ML, Hsu-Hage B: Helicobacter pylori in Melbourne Chinese immigrants: Evidence for oro-oral transmission via chopsticks. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 10:562–569, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ho SA, Hoyle JA, Lewis FA, Secker AD, Cross D, Mapstone NP, Dixon MF, Wyatt JI, Tompkins DS, Tayla GR, Quirke P: Direct polymerase chain reaction test for detection of Helicobacter pylori in humans and animals. J Clin Microbiol 29:2543–2549, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  15. Albenque M, Tall F, Dabis F, Megraud F: Epidemiological study of Helicobacter pylori transmission from mother to child in Africa. Rev Esp Enf Dig 78( suppl 1):48, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  16. Mitchell HM, Li YY, Hu PJ, Liu Q, Chen M, Du GG, Wang ZJ, Lee A, Hazell SL: Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori in southern China: Identification of early childhood as the critical period of acquisition. J Infect Dis 166:149–153, 1992

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Leung, WK., Sung, J.J.Y., Ling, T.K.W. et al. Use of Chopsticks for Eating and Helicobacter pylori Infection. Dig Dis Sci 44, 1173–1176 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026632408804

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026632408804

Navigation