Chain of transmission for Helicobacter Pylori
Helicobacter pylorus is commonly transmitted from one infected person to another through salivary contact (Engelkirk, Duben-Engelkirk, & Burton, 2011). H. pylorus is also known to be transmitted through contact with contaminated feces from water and food. There is a high prevalence of H. pylorus infections in developing countries due to the combination of such factors as poor hygiene, crowded conditions, poor disposal of fecal wastes, and untreated water. H. pylorus is commonly known to infect children and siblings and parents are the ones who play a significant role in facilitating this transmission (Scarpignato & Porro, 2004).
Treatments for Helicobacter pylorus infection
Patients with ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori need to be treated to heal their stomach lining, kill the H. pylori germs, and prevent disease reinfection (Engelkirk, Duben-Engelkirk, & Burton, 2011). The treatment process should take between one and two weeks to enable the patient to recover. The medical options used against H. pylorus infection include: taking antibiotics such as tinidazole (Tindamax); tetracycline (Sumycin); metronidazole (Flagyl); clarithromycin (Biaxin); or amoxicillin to eliminate the bacterial infestation in the body. Infected patients need to take at least two types of drugs from the above-mentioned drugs (Scarpignato & Porro, 2004).
Additionally, doctors recommend swallowing a combination of drugs that help reduce the number of acids in the stomach by stalling gastric glands from producing them (Westblom, Czinn, & Nedrud, 2012). The drugs include rabeprazole (Aciphex); pantoprazole (Protonix); omeprazole (Prilosec); lansoprazole (Prevacid); esomeprazole (Nexium); or dexlansoprazole (Dexilant). Also, the patient needs to take bismuth subsalicylate drugs, which kill Helicobacter pylorus pathogens with the help of antibiotics. Besides, patients infected with H. pylorus pathogens need to take one or a combination of either ranitidine (Zantac); nizatidine (Axid); famotidine (Pepcid, Fluxid); or cimetidine (Tagamet) drugs which block histamines that stimulate the patient’s gastric glands to produce more gastric acids.
Preventative measures used for H. pylorus pathogen
Research shows that practicing the following measures helps reduce the rates of H. pylorus transmission: practicing good hygiene such as proper preparation of food, washing of hands, and proper ways of disposing of wastes (Westblom, Czinn, & Nedrud, 2012). Secondly, patients with both mild and chronic gastrointestinal infections that are associated with Helicobacter pylorus pathogenic infections must be diagnosed and treated to prevent transmission to children and other members of the family. Additionally, patients who are undergoing medical treatment should be encouraged to complete their full therapeutic course which entails acid blockers and antibiotics, to enhance the chances for a cure (Engelkirk, Duben- Engelkirk, & Burton, 2011). Medical and health care practitioners and caregivers must also check the patient’s diet and encourage proper nutrition in order to prevent patients from being attacked with anemia due to deficiency of iron supplements.
Besides, the Ministry of health can conduct a nationwide vaccination process against the pathogenic infection of Helicobacter pylori during its early stages of development to prevent further transmission. The government and stakeholders can also formulate and execute policies that help to improve the living standards and health conditions of citizens in developing countries to prevent infection and transmission of H. pylori pathogenic disease (Engelkirk, Duben- Engelkirk, & Burton, 2011). Furthermore, the transmission of H. pylori infections can also be curbed by encouraging the intake of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower.
Clinical relevance for nurses and or patients
Helicobacter pylori infection is commonly associated with gastric malignancies, peptic diseases, and chronic gastritis. The H. pylori (HP) contagion is present in approximately fifty percent of the global population (Scarpignato & Porro, 2004). Additionally, the prevalence of HP infection in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients is relatively lower when compared to the general global population. However, the influence of HP prevalence on CD patients’ activity is yet to be uncovered. Hence, treatment of a patient with HP infection does not significantly alter the presence of gastro-duodenitis VCE or the activity measures of CD disease, implying that HP pathogens are part of the proximal CD (Westblom, Czinn, & Nedrud, 2012).
Task two
Type of HP microorganism, gram reaction, shape, and arrangement
Virulence factors
Helicobacter pylorus is a gram-negative aerophilic micro-bacterium that is commonly found in the stomach. H. pylori have a helix shape with a diameter of approximately 0.5 micrometers and 3 micrometers in length (Scarpignato & Porro, 2004). Helicobacter pylori can be illustrated in tissue gram staining process using phase-contrast microscopy, acridine orange stain, Warthin-Starry silver stain, hematoxylin-eosin stain, and Giemsa stain. H. pylori are capable of converting from spiral or helical shapes to nonculturable coccoid forms and can also form biofilms. Moreover, the pathogen has about two to three sets of flagella located at the same loci,, and all enterohepatic and gastric HP species are highly motile due to the presence of flagella. The virulence factors of HP help to examine and determine the results of its infection (Westblom, Czinn, & Nedrud, 2012). The HP bacterium has a BabA2 adhesion protein which is believed to facilitate the bacterial induction of undecorated gastric swelling and colonization, especially when combined with the expression of VacA and CagA.
How the HP pathogen evades the immune system
Inasmuch as the gastric mucosa is well guarded against infections, the HP bacterium is capable of attaching to gastric epithelial cells, residing beneath the mucus, and causing tenacious infection by avoiding the immune attacks of the host (Scarpignato & Porro, 2004). The HP evades the innate immune responses by avoiding being detected by the pattern recognition receptor proteins, which induce multiple extracellular activation cascades that lead to inflammation reactions, which in effect, clear pathogens from the system. The HP also evades the immune responses, eluding to be recognized by Toll-like receptors by inhibiting the DC-SIGN mediated signals. The pathogen does this by modulating its superficial molecules which include flagellin and LPS (Westblom, Czinn, & Nedrud, 2012). Additionally, HP is able to detect changes in the PH gradients in the mucosal system and migrate to regions with less acid in a chemical process called chemotaxis.
Diseases caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium
The enhanced secretion of free radicals by H. pylori is a mechanism that is believed to cause gastric cancer (Scarpignato & Porro, 2004). The inflammatory responses resulting from the Helicobacter pylori pathogens that colonize the pyloric atrium stimulate the G cells to produce gastrin hormones which in turn stimulate gastric glands that secrete more acid in the duodenum, which causes duodenum ulcers. Additionally, colonization of the pyloric atrium by the HP pathogens inflates the site of infection on the epithelial lining of the stomach, which in effect, causes chronic gastritis (Westblom, Czinn, & Nedrud, 2012).
Conclusion
A Helicobacter pylori bacterium is an infectious microorganism whose exact route of transmission remains unclear (Engelkirk, Duben- Engelkirk, & Burton, 2011). However, research indicates that the bacterium is likely to be transmitted from one infected person to another via facial-to-oral or oral-to-oral routes. Owing to these possible routes of transmission, scientists have isolated the pathogen from dental plaque, saliva, and feces of infected persons. Besides, further research reveals that Helicobacter pylorus is less likely transmitted via saliva than through gastric mucus (Scarpignato & Porro, 2004).
References
Engelkirk, P. G., Duben- Engelkirk, J. L., & Burton, G. R. (2011). Burton’s Microbiology for the Health Sciences. (10th ed.). New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Scarpignato, C., & Porro, G. B. (2004). Clinical Pharmacology and Therapy of Helicobacter Pylori Infection. Washington, DC: KARGER
Westblom, T. U., Czinn, S. J., & Nedrud, J. G. (2012). Gastroduodenal Disease and Helicobacter Pylori: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment. Texas: Springer
