[A survey on Campylobacter jejuni high infection in a nursery]

An epidemiologic survey on Campylobacter jejuni infection in a nursery was made in April 1987. It was found that there was a spread of C. jejuni high infection. Two cooks affected by enteritis of C. jejuni were considered to be a reservoir of the infection. Stool cultures were positive for C. jejuni in 43 out of 187 children, with a positive rate of 23%. Eight of the 43 had diarrhea and the others were asymptomatic carriers (24.3%). Controls were set up in another nursery with 238 healthy children and 201 non-diarrheal outpatients; C. jejuni was positive for 11.4% and 7.5%, respectively. The difference was quite significant (P less than 0.005). Results of biotyping on the strains isolated from the two cooks and the children in the nursery showed that all were of C. jejuni biotype 1, except two (4.7%) of the strains from the children, which were E. coli. The authors have suggested that transmission of C. jejuni in the nursery may be caused by contaminated food or person-to-person contact.