ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to identify the presence of H. pylori in biopsy specimens from symptomatic patients by PCR. In addition, the rate of vacA virulence genes was determined. 194 antral gastric biopsy specimens were collected during endoscopy from patients suffering from gastroduodenal symptoms. The samples were collected by the gastroenterologists in their own clinics in. DNA was extracted from the biopsies and subsequently used for PCR identification of H. pylori and the virulence genes using specific primers. The rate of positive H. pylori in the collected biopsies was 44%. The rates of the virulence genes in this sample: vacA was vacAs, vacAi and vacAm respectively. Much research is necessary to determine the presence of an association of this gene with gastric pathology. Variation in the rates of the vacA gene in different countries is a strong indication of its geographical distribution. This study would provide important information regarding the prevalence of virulence genes (vacA) in H. pylori strains in the sample tested in this country.