Detection and Seroprevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Among Patients Attending Primary Health Care Badarawa, Kaduna, Nigeria

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram-negative, microaerophilic spiral bacterium thriving in the stomach lining which led to various gastrointestinal ailments such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancers. Its distinctive spiral shape and adaptability to the acidic stomach environment facilitate chronic colonization, triggering inflammatory responses and a spectrum of clinical symptoms. This study aimed to serologically explores the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori among patients attending Primary Health Care Badarawa to detect specific antibodies of H. pylori using rapid test strip. A total of 90 blood samples were collected into an EDTA bottles. The serological test was done in compliance with quality control (QC) protocols and in accordance to the manufacturer’s instructions. The overall seroprevalence of H. pylori infection among patients attending PHC Badarawa was 83%. The prevalence of H. pylori infection varied significantly by age with the highest prevalence occurring in individuals aged 7-10 (100%), 51-60 (100%), 61-70 years old (100%) and the lowest in the 11 to 20(76.2%) age group. Regarding symptoms of H. pylori infection, this study revealed that the most common frequent symptoms were Heartburn 33(6.1), followed by Upper abdominal pain 27(18.5), Loss of appetite 15 (13.3), Nausea and vomiting 13(7.7), Burping10(0), and Persistent stomach pain 16(0),while Bloody stool 3(33.3), which was the least reported. The investigation compared socio-demographic factors (Gender, Occupation, Educational status, and Marital status) with various riskfactors, including Source of water, Eating habits, Exposure to pets, Contact with ulcer infectedindividuals and the Number of people in the household. Among these, significant associations were found between Occupational status and the Source of water (p-value = 0.019), Educational status and Eating habits (p-value = 0.019), Gender and Exposure to pets (p-value = 0.009), Gender and Contact with infected individuals (p-value = 0.048), Educational level and Frequency of food intake (p-value =0.041), and Marital status with the Number of people in the household (p-value = 0.011). This study sheds light on the prevalence and associated factors of H. pylori, emphasizing the importance of considering socio-demographic factors in understanding risk factors and informing targeted public health interventions. Keywords: Prevalence, Epidemiology, Helicobacter pylori, Peptic ulcer, Gastric adenocarcinoma, Gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue, Clinical signs and Treatment