An outbreak of campylobacter food poisoning at a university campus

Twelve cases of Campylobacter jejuni infection were identified on a university campus in the first 12 days of November 1997. Consumption of food from a single outlet, where poor food handling practices were identified, was statistically associated with infection. The epidemiological evidence suggested that what presented as a point source outbreak was a series of small cross contamination incidents associated with multiple strain types. The nature of this outbreak suggests that current surveillance systems are inadequate for the identification of campylobacter outbreaks. Enhanced surveillance should be introduced to identify case clusters of campylobacter infections and public health professionals should remember the risks of cross contamination associated with ubiquitously contaminated foodstuffs, especially raw meats and poultry. The role of strain typing in campylobacter epidemiology is as yet undefined.