A recent study has revealed that a common bacteria found in the stomach but which has no symptoms could cause 12 million cancer cases among people born over a single decade. The alarming prediction, published in the journal Nature Medicine, is based on research examining the effects of Helicobacter pylori, a type of bacteria that infects the stomach. In the wake of the study, scientists are urging the prompt screening and treatment of people infected with the bacteria—which could reduce the number of expected stomach cancer cases by up to 75%.
So, how deadly is this germ, and what are the consequences for those who go untreated? Click through this gallery for a better diagnosis of this potentially deadly bacteria.