Campylobacter jejuni is a species of bacteria commonly found in animal feces.
It is curved, helical-shaped, non-spore forming, Gram-negative, and microaerophilic. C. jejuni
is one of the most common causes of human gastroenteritis in the world.
Food poisoning caused by Campylobacter species can be severely debilitating, but is rarely
life-threatening.
It has been linked with subsequent development of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which usually
develops two to three weeks after the initial illness.
Sources C. jejuni is commonly associated with poultry,
and it naturally colonises the digestive tract of many bird species.
One study found that 30% of European starlings in farm settings in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom,
were carriers of C. jejuni.
It is also common in cattle, and although it is normally a harmless commensal of the
gastrointestinal tract in these animals, it can cause campylobacteriosis in calves.
It has also been isolated from wombat and kangaroo feces, being a cause of bushwalkers'
diarrhea.
Contaminated drinking water and unpasteurized milk provide an efficient means for distribution.
Contaminated food is a major source of isolated infections, with incorrectly prepared meat
and poultry as the primary source of the bacteria.
On June 29, 2011, the Wyoming Department of Health was notified of two laboratory-confirmed
cases of C. jejuni in two persons working at a local sheep ranch who had castrated and
docked the tails of lambs.
Fecal-oral contamination was later verified by the CDC, which confirmed the bacteria from
the infected lambs at the ranch had PFGE patterns indistinguishable from those from the men.
Disease Infection with C. jejuni usually results in
enteritis, which is characterised by abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and malaise.
The symptoms usually persist for between 24 hours and a week, but may be longer.
Diarrhea can vary in severity from loose stools to bloody stools.
The disease is usually self-limiting.
However, it does respond to antibiotics.
Severe or prolonged cases may require ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, azithromycin or norfloxacin.
The drug of choice is usually erythromycin.
About 90% of cases respond to ciprofloxacin treatment.
Fluid and electrolyte replacement may be required for serious cases.
The first full-genome sequence of C. jejuni was performed in 2000.
Laboratory characteristics
Campylobacter is grown on specially selective "CAMP" agar plates at 42°C, the normal avian
body temperature, rather than at 37°C, the temperature at which most other pathogenic
bacteria are grown.
Since the colonies are oxidase positive, they will usually only grow in scanty amounts on
the plates.
Microaerophilic conditions are required for luxurious growth.
A selective blood agar medium can be used.
Greater selectivity can be gained with an infusion of a cocktail of antibiotics: vancomycin,
polymixin-B, trimethoprim and actidione, and growth under microaerophilic conditions at
42°C.
See also Campylobacteriosis
References
Zendehbad, B., et al..
"Identification and antimicrobial resistance of< i> Campylobacter species isolated from
poultry meat in Khorasan province, Iran."
Food Control.
External links Campylobacter jejuni genomes and related information
at PATRIC, a Bioinformatics Resource Center funded by NIAID
Current research on Campylobacter jejuni at the Norwich Research Park