Outbreak of Campylobacter infection in a subartic community

A presumably waterborne outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni/coli infection in a subarctic community is described. Drinking water supplied to residents was delivered unchlorinated during a 4-week period. No Campylobacter sp. was recovered from the water supply. Three hundred thirty individuals (15% of the 2,200 exposed) became ill. Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and joint pain occurred in 81%, 30%, 29%, 43% and 21%, respectively. Nine percent reported swelling of joints, and two cases of reactive arthritis occurred. A Campylobacter sp. was isolated from 9 of 33 individuals who became ill and from 1 of 33 healthy controls. All culture-positive individuals, 46% of culture-negative ill persons and 27% of healthy controls were seropositive. All strains recovered had an identical DNA profile.