Co-occurrence of Helicobacter pylori with faecal bacteria in Nairobi river basin: public health implications.

INTRODUCTION Overwhelming evidence implicates Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) as an etiologic agent of gastrointestinal diseases including gastric cancer. The mode of transmission of this pathogen remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE This investigation is to establish the presence of H. pylori in the waters of the Nairobi river basin and the predictive value the presence of fecal indicator bacteria would have for H. pylori. METHODOLOGY Physical, chemical and biological assessment of water quality of rivers in Nairobi were carried out using standard methods. H. pylori DNA in water was detected using highly specific primers of glmM gene (294pb). RESULTS There was high presence of faecal bacteria in the waters sampled. H. pylori DNA was detected in two domestic wells and one river. The wells were located in two different regions of the water basin but influenced by similar human activities. CONCLUSION The high presence of faecal bacteria in the waters sampled did not parallel the H. pylori detection in the same waters. H. pylori was detected in the Nairobi river basin, but there was no relationship between the numerical levels of fecal bacteria and H. pylori.