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Summary
Fatalities from Campylobacter jejuni infections, though rare, have been reported in the US. Prompt hospitalization and avoiding antimotility agents may prevent severe outcomes in Campylobacter jejuni cases.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
- Public Health
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis.
- Fatalities due to C. jejuni infections in the United States were previously unreported.
- Surveillance data indicated 24.4 reported cases per 100,000 population over a two-year period.
Observation:
- Two C. jejuni infection-related fatalities occurred in the Denver metropolitan area over two years.
- Cases involved a young, previously healthy woman and an elderly diabetic woman.
- Both patients received antimotility agents, and one had hypokalemia without profound volume depletion.
Findings:
- The overall death rate from C. jejuni was 0.059 per 100,000 population.
- The death rate per reported case was 2.4 per 1,000.
- Hypokalemia is a potential contributing factor to mortality in C. jejuni infections.
Implications:
- These cases highlight the potential severity of C. jejuni infections, even in previously healthy individuals.
- Withholding antimotility agents and prompt hospitalization may be crucial in managing C. jejuni infections.
- Further research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms leading to fatalities.