Campylobacter jejuni enteritis; a review

Campylobacter jejuni has recently been recognized as an important cause of human gastroenteritis in many countries. The clinical features of C. jejuni infections vary from those of a mild gastroenteritis to a severe enterocolitis. The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, abdominal pain and bloody diarrhoea. The small intestine is the main site of infection, but the colon may also be involved. The main pathogenesis of C. jejuni appears to be invasion of the wall of the gut as in salmonellosis. Isolation of the organism from faeces requires culture in a selective medium containing antibiotics and incubation under reduced oxygen tension at 42 degrees C. Most cases of campylobacter enteritis are sporadic and it is often difficult to confirm their source. Although cross infection between humans occurs rarely, the disease is mainly a zoonosis with many possible routes of infection. Human infections have been associated with the consumption of contaminated food, especially poultry, unpasteurized milk, and water, as well as contact with domestic animals such as dogs and cats. In most cases campylobacter enteritis is a selflimiting disease and therefore decision on treatment should be taken on clinical grounds. When considered necessary, erythromycin is the drug of choice. Information about C. jejuni infection has accumulated rapidly in recent years, but much remains to be learned, especially about its epidemiology.