Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus: an unforeseen cause of abortion in regional Australia

Campylobacter fetus (C. fetus) subsp. fetus, a Gram-negative bacterium, is an established cause of abortion and infertility in cattle, sheep and goats. Human infections have been rarely reported. In contrast to TORCH infections, this Campylobacter species is hardly recognized as a cause of abortion in humans. Since 1947 after the first case report in France, there have been only 11 reported cases of pregnant women worldwide and no published reports in Australia, pregnant or otherwise. The case in this study was compared to the first reported infection of C. fetus in 1947 to raise awareness and educate doctors and midwives, subsequently impacting prenatal and antenatal counselling in these regions. A Venn diagram was constructed to highlight the similarities between this and the index case. The similarities found included the clinical state of the patient post-abortion and the all-important history of exposure to farm animals that suffered recent deaths on the farms of both patients. Some of the differences included the time of onset of symptoms to the time of abortion, the choice of antibiotics by both treating teams and the presentation of sepsis, suggesting the importance of C. fetus subsp. fetus as a perinatal infection.