Large-scale, national, family-based epidemiological study on Helicobacter pylori infection in China: the time to change practice for related disease prevention.

Familial infection rate is high in general household in China. Exposure to infected family members is likely the major source of its spread. These results provide supporting evidence for the strategic changes from individual-based treatment to family-based management, and the notion has important clinical and public health implications for infection control and related disease prevention.