Seasonal Variation in The Frequency of Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Tobruk City, Libya

Helicobacter pylori (H, pylori) is one of the most common pathogenic bacteria infections that presents a substantial concern due to its link with gastric cancer and peptic ulcer. The infected individual usually does not exhibit clinical symptoms; therefore, it is important to understand the risk factors associated with the infection to diagnose and treat it early. Among these risk factors, the association between H pylori infection and season variation is not well understood. The aim of this study is to understanding the prevalence of h pylori infection in Tobruk City, eastern Libya, and its interaction with association factors such as gender, age, and the seasonality of H. pylori this in turn, may lead to a better understanding of other health phenomena such as the seasonal variation of peptic ulcers, that has remained an unresolved mystery for more than 90 years. 2551 samples were processed, using the TECAN Fecal H. pylori Antigen ELISA for the quantitative and qualitative detection of H. pylori antigen in feces. Results show that 33.6% of the cases were positive, and the percentage of infected females (34.1%) was insignificantly greater than that of infected males (32.9%). 34.1% were female and 32.9% were male. The results showed significant (X2= 22.52; P<0.001) association between H. pylori infection and age of the patient, in which the results explained that the highest percentage of infected patients for those aged < 10 years (39.3%) followed by those aged between 31-40 years (33.6%), The results revealed a significant (X2= 100.00; P<0.001) association between H. pylori infection and season of the year in which the highest rate of the infected patient was found during spring season (41.9%), followed by those patients infected during winter (28.1%) and summer (28.1%), however those patients infected during autumn were reported that lowest percentage (11.1%). Further prospective studies are highly recommended to provide further evidence and a clearer picture of H. pylori transmission