Last week someone asked if we find someone who has Helicobacter pylori, do we test his partner too? You said that you often do, and that you might even hold off treatment until the results come through. This was interesting to me because I’ve always thought we all have a bit of H. pylori, but we need to keep it under control, but if this reinfecting thing is true, what if they have young children? H. pylori can be protective if you get it early enough, right? So, it’s my understanding that you wouldn’t treat symptoms in a young child for H. pylori, but they could reinfect the adults time and time again.

Dr. Amy Nett: Yeah, so this is nuanced, and I don’t know if we even have all the answers because, yes, I don’t even test for Helicobacter pylori in patients under probably 25 years of age. Even under 30 there is a question mark in my mind as to whether or not we even want to be testing. I don’t know about reinfection from children. I generally only test adults within a household. I actually haven’t had a complicating factor of having children reinfecting parents. I don’t know if there are differences in strains, and that’s a great question. You’re probably right. We do all have some degree of H. pylori, but the issue can be whether or not it’s overgrown. I generally only test adults within a household, so it’s generally testing someone’s significant other, or if there is a roommate-type situation, we might look at that, but, no, I wouldn’t test or treat children and young adults. I don’t know that I would test or treat under the age of 25.