Campylobacter reporting at its peak year of 1998: don't count your chickens yet

Infections due to Campylobacter spp. are the most commonly reported bacterial cause of human gastrointestinal illness, and reports of campylobacteriosis in the UK and other temperate countries have been increasing. An all-time peak of 58,059 cases of campylobacter infectious intestinal disease (IID) were reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre in 1998. An analysis of the age, gender and seasonal and geographical distribution of cases reported in 1998 is presented here, together with population-based estimates of reported incidence. The frequency of reports was highest in late Spring. Reported incidence was highest in males under 1 year of age (214/100,000 population), with a secondary peak in adults aged 25 to 34 years (140/100,000 population). Reported incidence was higher in males than females for all age groups. The highest reported incidence occurred in the South West region (140/100,000 population), while the lowest was observed in London (54/100,000 population). Campylobacter is a major cause of human gastrointestinal illness. Work towards its control must be a priority if the burden of human infectious intestinal disease is to be reduced.