Public Health Significance of Campylobacter

Introduction: Campylobacter has now become one of the most common causes of diarrheal diseases in industrialized and in developing countries worldwide and is now an important public health concern. Campylobacter often results from poor sanitary conditions and hygienic practices associated with raring, processing, packaging and storage of poultry and poultry products that lead to cross contamination. The disease is serious if not treated and may result in inflammation of the joints, persistence and multiplication of living bacteria in the blood, inflammation of the coverings of the brain, inflammation of the heart and other organs leading to organ failure and eventually system failure, paralysis and death. The purpose of the present paper is to review the current literature and to provide up-to-date information by providing answers to pertinent questions on the public health significance of Campylobacter. What is campylobacteriosis? Campylobacteriosis is a disease condition caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Campylobacter. Most people experience signs of the disease within 2 to 5 days after exposure to Campylobacter. Signs may vary among patients depending on the sensitivity of the individual, state of health and the pathogenicity of the particular strain of bacteria. Some common signs may include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever. Persons with compromised immune systems such as those on medications, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, suffers of diseases such as AIDS and other infectious diseases. The young, old and pregnant individuals are also vulnerable to campylobacteriosis. In these susceptible individuals Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes a serious life-threatening infection. Despite the appearance of signs of Campylobacter infection in some individuals, other individuals who are infected may be carriers of the disease and do not show any symptoms and signs of the disease. How common is campylobacter? Campylobacter is regarded as one of the common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States. Sporadic cases of the disease have accounted for isolated outbreaks throughout the United States. It has been reported that 15 cases of campylobacteriosis are diagnoses each year for each 100,000 persons. The disease is often found and reported more in the summer season than in the winter, in males and immunocompromised individuals. The actual number of cases may be under reported and it is suggested that campylobacteriosis may affect over 1 million persons every year or 0.5 % of the U.S. population. Campylobacter may not cause death if treated promptly. But in rural environments where access to adequate health care facilities may be a problem and where the seriousness of the disease is underestimated or ignored may lead to deaths. It is estimated that approximately 100 persons with Campylobacter infections may die each year. What are some of the characteristic features of campylobacter? Campylobacter belongs to a group of spiral curved rod shaped gram-negative bacteria that can cause disease in humans and animals. Campylobacter jejuni is one of the main species that causes most human illness. Other species of Campylobacter can also cause human illness and accounts for just 1 % of cases. Campylobacter lives reasonably well at a temperature of 37.7-43.5