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ABSTRACTEpidemiological studies from different countries have shown a steady decline of the prevalence of Helicobacter pyloriinfection. In order to investigate the current seroprevalence of H. pyloriinfection in the area of Magdeburg, a city of the former East Germany, H. pyloriantibodies of patients presenting in our emergency wards were analyzed. In total, 2,318 patients (1,181 males and 1,137 females) enrolled between September 2009 and August 2010 were tested for immunoglobulin G (IgG) against H. pyloriand anti-CagA antibodies by specific enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Patients with either anti-H. pyloriIgG or anti-CagA antibodies were classified as H. pyloripositive, whereas the lack of both antibodies led to the assignment of an H. pylori-negative status. The overall seroprevalence of H. pyloriinfection was 44.4% (n= 1,029 out of 2,318) and did not differ in relation to sex. The proportion of CagA-positive samples was 43.3% of all H. pylori-positive individuals (446 out of 1,029). The seroprevalence showed a birth cohort effect (0 to 20 years of age, 14.6%; 21 to 30 years, 22.4%; 31 to 40 years, 40.6%; 41 to 50 years, 45.5%; 51 to 60 years, 50.8%) up to the age of 60, while it remained between 40.7% and 50.5% for the following decades. Patients younger than 30 years were significantly less H. pyloripositive (21.1%) than those older than 30 years of age (47.7%; P< 0.01), whereas CagA status was similar (44.3 versus 43.3%). Notably, young women (<30 years old) had significantly higher CagA positivity (59.3%) than corresponding men (32.5%; P= 0.016). Taken together, seroprevalence of H. pyloriinfection shows a significant drop in subjects born after 1980 in Saxony-Anhalt but still remains in the range of 40 to 50% in subjects born earlier.