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Culture Methods to Determine the Limit of Detection and Survival in Transport Media of Campylobacter Jejuni in Human Fecal Specimens
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Culture Methods to Determine the Limit of Detection and Survival in Transport Media of Campylobacter Jejuni in Human Fecal Specimens

Published on: March 10, 2020

Risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infections in children in a Greek region

K Mellou1, P Sourtzi, A Tsakris

  • 1National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. kmellou@gmail.com

Epidemiology and Infection
|May 25, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Ethnicity, chicken consumption, and garden play are risk factors for Campylobacter jejuni infections in children. Eating raw vegetables may offer protection against this common bacterial illness.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infections are a significant cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in children worldwide.
  • Understanding risk factors is crucial for developing targeted prevention strategies.
  • Previous research has identified various potential risk factors, but specific associations in urban Greek populations require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and analyze the risk factors associated with sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infections in children under 15 years of age in Attica, Greece.
  • To differentiate between risk and protective factors for Campylobacter jejuni infections in a pediatric population.
  • To provide data that can inform public health interventions and parental guidance.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study design was employed in the urban area of Attica, Greece.
  • 205 pediatric cases of Campylobacter jejuni infection were matched with 205 control subjects by age group and gender.
  • Conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between potential risk factors and disease occurrence.

Main Results:

  • Ethnicity was strongly associated with an increased risk of infection (OR 5.06, 95% CI 2.49-10.28).
  • Consumption of chicken in the week prior to illness onset (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.10-3.55) and playing in the garden (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.05-3.19) were also independently linked to higher disease occurrence.
  • Consumption of raw vegetables demonstrated a protective effect, reducing the odds of infection (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.27-0.85).

Conclusions:

  • Specific demographic (ethnicity) and behavioral factors (chicken consumption, garden play) are significant risk factors for Campylobacter jejuni infections in children in Attica, Greece.
  • Dietary habits, specifically the consumption of raw vegetables, may play a protective role against these infections.
  • Findings highlight the need for tailored public health messaging and interventions focusing on identified risk factors in this population.

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