"We are not dealing with any failure of local water supply facilities," writes Dr. Sidney W. Rosen, a retired gastroenterologist from Fall River, Massachusetts. "They are doing as dictated by regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency". In other words, communities aren't doing much of anything to protect people against Helicobacter pylori, a waterborne bacterium that Dr. Rosen blames for "a largely overlooked epidemic that has engulfed the entire world."
Heliobacter pylori (h. pylori) resides in the intestines of waterfowl, whose droppings are found in local water supplies. In 1985, two doctors from Australia were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for demonstrating how to culture h. pylori (or HP, as it's sometimes called) and discovering a link between the bacteria and human disease. Today, doctors know that HP causes gastritis, peptic ulcers, and two forms of stomach cancer. Some clinicians also blame HP infections for causing Alzheimer's disease, pancreatic cancer, and cancer of the bile ducts.
Although doctors can test for h. pylori infections via blood and breathing tests, the EPA states that there is no test for finding HP in local water supplies. Until such a test becomes available, probably in several years, the EPA will be unable to provide further direction to municipalities. Considering the health risks, should the EPA follow Dr. Rosen's advice and do more to protect the public against h. pylori today?
Source: The Herald News
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