This book gathers a wealth of contributions on the virulence factors and pathogenic mechanism of  Helicobacter pylori , prepared by leading international experts. In addition, it explores the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment with drugs and probiotics, and prophylaxis by vaccination, reflecting the latest advances.  H. pylori  is a Gram negative microaerophilic bacterium that can produce various gastric diseases including gastritis, gastroduodenal ulceration, gastric cancer and gastric MALT lymphoma. Although efforts to combat H. pylori  using a combination of proton pump inhibitor and several antimicrobial drugs have significantly decreased the burden of these gastric diseases, the microbial epidemiology and gastric pathogenesis following  H. pylori  infection are still not fully understood. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable resource not only for basic microbiologists, but also for researchers in the fields of pathology, biochemistry and genomics, as well as medical students/scientists.