Campylobacteriosis--a "new" disease in laboratory animals

Campylobacter fetus ss jejuni is now recognized as a leading cause of diarrhea in humans. With the development of proper culture techniques, C jejuni has been isolated from humans with diarrhea as frequently as Salmonella or Shigella species. Laboratory animal models are being developed to study the pathogenesis of campylobacter-induced diarrhea; also, identification of C jejuni is occurring more frequently in a variety of laboratory animals, whether asymptomatic carriers or those with clinical diarrhea. Animals shedding C jejuni also have been incriminated as a source of campylobacter diarrhea in humans.