Campylobacter Food Poisoning

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Campylobacter

Campylobacter jejuni is the most common cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the United States. Over6,000 cases of Campylobacterinfection were reported in 2009 alone, but many cases are not reported to

public health authorities. A 2011 report from the CDC estimates that Campylobactercauses approximately

845,000 illnesses in the United States each year.

Campylobacteris found most often in food, particularly in chicken. Food is contaminated when it comes into

contact with animal feces. Any raw poultry may contain Campylobacter, including organic and free range

products. In fact, studies have found Campylobactercontamination on up to 88 percent of chicken carcasses.

Despite the commonness of Campylobacter, however, infections are usually isolated events, and widespread

outbreaks are rare.

Campylobacter Symptoms

Symptoms of food poisoning from Campylobacterusually occur 2 to 5 days after a person eats contaminated

food, but may take up to 10 days to appear. The most common symptom of a Campylobacterinfection is

diarrhea, which is often bloody. Typical symptoms include:

Diarrhea: Diarrhea ranges from mild to severe and is often bloody

Fever

NauseaVomiting

Abdominal pain

Headache

Muscle pain

Two age groups are most commonly affected by Campylobacter: children under 5 years of age and young

adults aged 15-29.

Complications of Campylobacter Infection
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Although complications from Campylobacterfood poisoning are unlikely, they do occur in some cases. The

following is a list of possible long-term consequences of Campylobacterinfection.

Guillan-Barr Syndrome (GBS): Although rare, Guillan-Barr Syndromeis the most common cause of acute

generalized paralysis in the western world. GBS occurs when the antibodies the body builds up against

Campylobacterattack ones nerve cells. Symptoms of GBS appear several weeks after diarrheal illness.

Approximately one in every 1000 reported Campylobactercases results in GBS.

Reactive Arthritis: Campylobacterinfection may also lead to reactive arthritis. Symptoms include inflammation

of the joints, eyes, or reproductive or urinary organs. On average, symptoms appear 18 days after infection.

Other complications: Campylobactermay also cause appendicitis or infect specific parts of the body, including

the abdominal cavity, the heart, the central nervous system, the gall bladder, the urinary tract, or the blood

stream.

Diagnosis of Campylobacter Infection

To assess whether someone has a Campylobacterinfection, doctors take a stool sample and send it to alaboratory for testing. However, if the stool sample is taken after an individual has begun antibiotic treatment, the

test results may be falsely negative.

Campylobacter Treatment

Campylobacterinfections usually resolve after about a week, although treatment with antibiotics can shorten the

course of the illness. Patients with Campylobacterpoisoning should drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated as long

as the diarrhea lasts. Antidiarrheal medication may also help lessen symptoms.

The amount of foodborne bacteria resistant to antibiotics is on the rise, so certain antibiotics may prove

ineffective at treating a given type of Campylobacter. Finding an effective antibiotic is key to treating this

bacterial infection.

How to Prevent Campylobacter Infection

Campylobacter jejunigrows easily if contaminated foods are left out at room temperature. The bacterium is

sensitive to heat and other sterilization methods, including pasteurization, cooking meat fully, and water

chlorination. Follow these easy safety procedures to avoid Campylobacterinfection.

Make sure the thickest part of any poultry product you are cooking reaches 165 F (74 C)

Choose the coolest part of the car to transport meat and poultry home from the store

Defrost meat and poultry in the refrigerator or microwave, making sure juices do not drip

Do not cook stuffing inside the bird

Never leave food out at room temperature for over two hours

Use pasteurized milk and eggs

Wash fruits and vegetables carefully

Wash hands thoroughly after
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Contact with pets or farm animals

Preparing food, especially poultry

Changing diapers

Children return from school or daycare

Note:Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that causes peptic ulcers and gastritis, is often misconstrued as a

Campylobacter. While it was originally thought thatHelicobacter pyloriwas indeed a Campylobacterdue to

its similar structure, it is now known to be a different bacteria.

Additional Resources for Campylobacter

About-campylobacter.comis a comprehensive site with in-depth information about Campylobacterbacteria

and Campylobacter infection.

Campylobacter Blogprovides up-to-date news related to Campylobacter outbreaks, research, and more.

References

Tomb JF, White O, et al. The complete genome sequence of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. Nature

1997. 388(6642): 515-6

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Campylobacter Food Poisoning