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Mortality following Campylobacter infection: a registry-based linkage study
Anders Ternhag1, Anna Törner, Ake Svensson
1Department of Epidemiology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Solna, Sweden. anders.ternhag@karolinska.se
BMC Infectious Diseases
|September 16, 2005
Summary
Campylobacter infection increases short-term mortality risk for domestic cases but lowers it for travelers. This suggests domestic cases involve a more vulnerable population, while imported cases benefit from a "healthy traveler effect."
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Campylobacteriosis is a leading cause of bacterial diarrheal disease and traveler's gastroenteritis.
- Limited data exists regarding mortality associated with Campylobacter infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mortality risk associated with Campylobacter infection.
- To compare mortality rates between domestically acquired and travel-acquired infections.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of Campylobacter cases was compared to the general population's mortality rates.
- Mortality was analyzed at intervals: 0-1, 1-3, 3-12, and >12 months post-illness onset.
- Cases were stratified by domestic versus international acquisition of infection.
Main Results:
- Domestically acquired Campylobacter infections showed a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 2.9 (95% CI: 1.9-4.0) within the first month, decreasing to near 1.0 after a year.
- This increased risk was not specific to any age group.
- Internationally acquired infections presented a lower SMR of 0.3 (95% CI: 0.04-0.8) in the first month post-diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- Campylobacter infection is linked to elevated short-term mortality in domestically infected individuals.
- Conversely, a reduced mortality risk was observed in individuals infected abroad.
- The findings suggest a 'healthy traveler effect' in imported cases and a potentially frailer population in domestic cases.