What are the symptoms of a Campylobacter infection?

Posted by Campylobacter Lawyer on April 29, 2005

Diarrhea is the most consistent and prominent manifestation of campylobacter infection. It is often bloody.5 Typical symptoms of C. jejuni infection also include fever, nausea, and vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, and muscle pain. A majority of cases are mild and do not require hospitalization and may be self-limited. However, Campylobacter jejuni infection can be severe and life-threatening. Death is more common when other diseases (e.g., cancer, liver disease, and immuno-deficiency diseases) are present.

Children under the age of five and young adults aged 15-29 are the age groups most frequently affected. The incubation period (the time between exposure on onset of the first symptom) is typically two to five days, but onset may occur in as few as 2 days or as long as 10 days after ingestion.5 The illness usually lasts no more than one week; however, severe cases may persist for up to three weeks, and roughly 25% of individuals experience symptom relapse.

What is Campylobacter jejuni?

Posted by Campylobacter Lawyer on April 29, 2005

Campylobacter jejuni (Pronounced "camp-e-low-back-ter j-june-eye") was not recognized as a cause of human foodborne illness prior to 1975. Now, the bacterial organism is known to be the most common cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the U.S.1 (Salmonella is the second most common cause).

Most cases Campylobacter infection occur as isolated, sporadic events, not as a part of the large outbreaks. Even though surveillance is very limited, over 10,000 cases are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year. Active surveillance for cases indicates that over 17 cases for each 100,000 persons in the population (or about 46,000 cases) are diagnosed yearly.1 Undoubtedly, many more cases go undiagnosed and unreported, and estimates are that Campylobacter causes 2-4 million cases per year in the United States.4

Campylobacteriosis occurs more frequently in the summer months than in the winter. Although Campylobacter doesn't commonly cause death, it has been estimated that 100 persons with Campylobacter infections die each year from the infection. Recently, the CDC reported that Campylobacter infections related to raw or uncooked poultry fell by 28%.

Where does Campylobacter come from?

Posted by Campylobacter Lawyer on April 29, 2005

Food is the most common vehicle for the spread of Campylobacter. Poultry is the most common food implicated. Some case-control studies indicate that up to 70% of sporadic cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with eating chicken.

Surveys by the USDA demonstrated that up to 88% of the broiler chicken carcasses in the USA are contaminated with Campylobacter while a recent Consumer Reports study identified Campylobacter in 63% of more then 1000 chickens obtained in grocery stores. Other identified food vehicles include unpasteurized milk, undercooked meats, mushrooms, hamburger, cheese, pork, shellfish, and eggs.

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Drug-resistant bacteria linger on chicken, study finds

Posted by Campylobacter Lawyer on April 29, 2005

Amy L. Becker Staff Writer

Apr 1, 2005 (CIDRAP News) -- A study of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter levels on retail chicken products suggests that the pathogen lingers in chickens long after antibiotic use among the birds is stopped.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that sizable percentages of retail chicken samples from two large companies had antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter on them even though the companies had stopped treating their flocks with the antibiotic in question a year earlier.

In addition, the researchers found that chicken samples from those two companies were more likely to carry antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter on them than were samples from two companies that marketed their products as completely antibiotic-free.

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Foodborne Illnesses Continue Downward Trend: 2010 Health Goals For E. Coli 0157 Reached

Posted by Campylobacter Lawyer on April 15, 2005

2005-04-16

A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed important declines in foodborne infections due to common bacterial pathogens in 2004.

For the first time, cases of E. coli O157 infections, one of the most severe foodborne diseases, are below the national Healthy People 2010 health goal. From 1996-2004, the incidence of E. coli O157 infections decreased 42 percent. Campylobacter infections decreased 31 percent, Cryptosporidium dropped 40 percent, and Yersinia decreased 45 percent.

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Tough bugs persist on poultry

Posted by Campylobacter Lawyer on April 11, 2005

By Alex Dominguez
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BALTIMORE -- Antibiotic-resistant bacteria continued to be found in chickens bought at area supermarkets a year after two large poultry producers stopped using an antibiotic blamed for creating the resistant strains, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

The researchers say the findings suggest antibiotic-resistant bacteria may persist in the poultry industry after the use of the antibiotics, known as fluoroquinolones, has stopped and may contaminate more poultry than previously thought.

However, one of the producers and a researcher not involved with the study said the study did not show whether the amount of bacteria found presented a health risk. They also said the findings were not clear on whether the resistant strains were naturally present or use of the antibiotic caused the resistant strains.

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