Helicobacter pylori: a predominantly childhood infection--predominantly adult disease.

It is now 12 years since Helicobacter pylori was first cultured in an Australian laboratory. During these years significant understanding of the organism, its epidemiology and its disease associations have been made. Diagnostic methods and therapeutic regimens have appeared and been refined. In this article microbiological, epidemiological and clinical aspects of adult and childhood H. pylori are linked to present and future public health problems.