Gastrointestinal & Zoonoses

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Gastrointestinal & Zoonoses

Campylobacter

Epidemiology

Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of infectious intestinal disease in the industrialised world. Most infections in people are C. jejuni (91%) and C. coli (9%).

Risk factors include:

  • consumption of raw or undercooked meat, especially poultry
  • barbecued food
  • unpasteurised milk
  • doorstep delivered milk where the top has been bird pecked
  • untreated water
  • animal contact
  • travel abroad.

Most cases are sporadic and outbreaks are rare.

Main clinical features

Abdominal pain, diarrhoea, bloody diarrhoea, fever, nausea and/or vomiting, general malaise. Sequelae include Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Incubation period

Usually 2 - 5 days, but can be as long as 11 days.

Surveillance

Voluntary laboratory reports and surveillance of general outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease. Campylobacter isolates are reported as species.

Surveillance Tables

 

Last reviewed: 04 June 2009