definition

Last update: 17/02/2025 [1, 2]

Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli 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, C. lari, C. fetus e C. upsaliensis are also pathogenic for humans and 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.

Typically, Campylobacter can be acquired:

  • Eating raw or undercooked contaminated poultry, seafood, meat, and produce.
  • Preparing raw or lightly cooked foods (e.g.: salad, rice salads,fruits) using non-sanitized kitchen tools and boards previously used with contaminated raw poultry, seafood, or meat.
  • Touching infected animals or their food, water, poop, belongings (such as toys and bowls), or habitats (such as beds, cages, tanks, coops, stalls, and barns).
  • Drinking untreated water.
Restricted content To access this content, please create an account or connect to an existing one.
LOG IN SIGN UP
RELATED
food matrices
POULTRY & POULTY PRODUCTS
related future challenges
DISCOVER

GOING FURTHER

Discover what Mérieux NutriSciences can do about this topic on our website: SERVICE PAGE
BLOG ARTICLE You can also get more precise data using our specialized digital tools…
Discover