Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common bacterial infections, and has been isolated from the oral cavity, saliva, and dental plaque. In the United States, the prevalence of H. pylori was found to be 25% in children 6 to 19 years old and 33% in adults 20 years of age and older. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 is also very common, and HSV-1 and H. pylori share some routes of transmission. They both have been isolated from ulcerations of the oral and gastric mucosa. A study by Baccaglini, et al aimed to determine whether infection with HSV-1 is associated with a higher probability of infection with H. pylori. The study evaluated data collected from 1,090 participants aged 12 to 19 years, and found an overall positive association between HSV-1 and H. pylori, although the strength of the association varied, based on household size and location. A negligible association was found in small nonurban households, whereas the association was twice as high in large urban households. This suggests that the association is more likely due to shared environmental factors or routes of transmission rather than biologic reasons.
(Source: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology, Vol. 101, No. 1, 2006)
