Epidemiology of Campylobacter Enteritis

Abstract

Campylobacter fetus ssp. jejuni (CJC) was isolated from 386 patients (6.9%) of 5-571 with a history of acute diarrhea between Dec., 1977-June, 1980. In the same study population, Salmonella was found in 4.1%, Shigella in 1.7% and Yersinia enterocolitica in 2.1%. Only 5 (0.25%) of 2000 health controls had CJC in their stools. Of the patients, 53% had acquired their infection in Sweden. The peak incidence for CJC was from July-Sept. More than 50% of the patients were between 16-35 yr. Within 1 mo. of the acute enteritis 80% had negative stool cultures for CJC. In general, Campylobacter enteritis is not a severe disease and only 11% were admitted to hospital. The most common signs were high fever in 35%, frequent watery diarrhea in 37%, colics or abdominal pains in 84% and fresh blood in stools in 12%. Antibiotic treatment was given in 13% and was erythromycin in 56% and doxycycline in 26% of these patients. If chemotherapy was given and the strain was sensitive, no relapse occurred within 2 wk of the treatment. The antibiograms for 435 strains showed that the aminoglycosides, erythromycin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol and nalidixic acid were the most effective drugs. Evidently, CJC is a common cause of bacterial diarrhea also in patients with domestic enteritis.