Campylobacter & Campylobacteriosis

Campylobacter organisms are spiral-shaped bacteria that can cause disease in humans and animals. The infectious disease is known as campylobacteriosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most human illness is caused by one species, called Campylobacter jejuni, but human illness can also be caused by other species.

The CDC reports that Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States. In addition to diarrhea, most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis have cramping, abdominal pain and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism. The diarrhea may be bloody and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts about one week. Some infected people do not have any symptoms. In those with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and can cause a serious life-threatening infection.

Campylobacteriosis usually occurs in single, sporadic cases, but it can also occur in outbreaks, when two or more people become ill from the same source. Most cases are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry meat or from cross-contamination of other foods by these items. Outbreaks of infections have most often been associated with unpasteurized dairy products, contaminated water, poultry and produce.

Animals can also be infected, and some people get infected from contact with the stool of an ill dog or cat. In 2017, a multistate outbreak of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter infections were linked to contact with pet store puppies.

Fortunately, the organism is not usually spread from one person to another, but this can happen in some circumstances.

These are just a few things to know about Campylobacter. To learn more about this or other microbial pathogen, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.

Clark Seif Clark http://www.csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. http://www.emsl.com
LA Testing http://www.latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental http://www.zimmetry.com