Prevalence and Sociodemographic Distribution of Helicobacter pylori Positivity in Türkiye: A Retrospective Analysis between 2018-2023 and Impact of COVID-19 Measures

Aim: Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, multi-flagellated bacterium that resides in the gastric mucosa and is a significant cause of chronic antral gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric lymphoma, and adenocarcinoma. Its prevalence is inversely related to socioeconomic development, with higher rates in developing countries. The bacterium is believed to spread primarily through fecal-oral and oral-oral routes, with an estimated global infection rate of around 50%. Material and Methods: This study retrospectively examined the presence of H. pylori antigen in stool samples from 40784 patients admitted to our hospital between 2018 and 2023. The tests were performed using MICROCULT (Biotech, China) kits and the results were analysed according to age, sex and geographical regions. Results: The overall positivity rate was found to be 14.47%. Female had a higher positivity rate (16.73%) compared to male (11.64%). The positivity rate was 6.46% in children and 16.77% in adults. The highest regional positivity was observed in the Southeastern Anatolia region (25.71%), while the lowest was in the Black Sea region (11.95%). In Ankara, Altındağ district had the highest positivity rate (17.09%), while Etimesgut had the lowest (8.79%). Conclusion: The study highlights a decline in H. pylori prevalence in recent years, though higher rates persist in less developed regions, underscoring the need for improved infrastructure, hygiene, and targeted screening and treatment strategies.