Campylobacter Infections

Microaerophilic, motile, gram-negative rods

Two species infect humans

• Campylobacter jejuni, an important cause of diarrheal disease

• Campylobacter fetus subsp fetus, typically causes systemic infection and not diarrhea

Dairy cattle and poultry are important reservoirs

Campylobacter gastroenteritis

• Fever

• Abdominal pain

• Diarrhea characterized by loose, watery, or bloody stools

• Disease is self-limited, but its duration can be shortened with antimicrobial therapy

C fetus

• Causes systemic infections that can be fatal, including primary bacteremia, endocarditis, meningitis, and focal abscesses

• Infrequently causes gastroenteritis

• Infected patients are often elderly, debilitated, or immunocompromised

• Closely related species, collectively termed "Campylobacter-like organisms," cause bacteremia in HIV-infected individuals

Blood culture

Stool culture

Either azithromycin, 1 g orally as single dose, or ciprofloxacin, 500 mg twice daily orally for 3 days, is effective

However, C jejuni isolates may be resistant to fluoroquinolones, particularly in Southeast Asia, and susceptibility testing should be routinely performed

C fetus

• Systemic infections respond to therapy with gentamicin, chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone, or ciprofloxacin

• Ceftriaxone or chloramphenicol should be used to treat CNS infections because of their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier