[Septicemia caused by enteritis due to Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus]

In a 55 year old man with renal insufficiency requiring hemodialysis after bilateral nephrectomy who had been hospitalized with febrile illness and enteritis, Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus could be isolated from the blood and feces. Antibodies against the homologous strain (isolated from the blood) could be detected in the serum by means of the Widal test and the indirect immunofluorescence test. Culturing of Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus (especially from blood cultures) may be difficult because of the poor growth conditions for microaerophilic bacteria. It is quite possible that this organism occurs more frequently in blood and feces than suggested by the routine investigations carried out so far.