Campylobacter

definition

Campylobacter jejuni and coli species are the leading cause of human foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide. This bacterium can be found in the intestines of animals like poultry, cattle, pigs, pets, wild birds and wild mammals.

Other Campylobacter species, seldom pathogenic for humans, have been associated with disease in animals like infertility, septic abortion and mastitis in ruminants.

Campylobacteriosis is mainly a zoonotic disease responsible for self-limiting gastroenteritis, characterized by diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps in humans. Complications may range from joint inflammation (5–10% of cases) to rare neurological complications such as Guillain-Barré paralytic syndrome.  The onset time ranges from 1-10 days with disease duration between 3-6 days.

Sources of infection for humans are typically contaminated food (raw poultry, less frequently raw milk, seafood, raw meat, produce), natural surface-waters, and direct contact with infected animals.