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Published on: October 22, 2013

Campylobacter enteritis associated with the consumption of free school milk

P H Jones, A T Willis, D A Robinson

    The Journal of Hygiene
    |October 1, 1981
    PubMed

    Insights

    A large school milk outbreak infected 2500 children with campylobacter enteritis. This study identified contaminated milk as the likely source, highlighting Campylobacter jejuni strains and transmission dynamics.

    Area of Science:

    • Infectious Diseases
    • Epidemiology
    • Food Safety

    Background:

    • Campylobacter enteritis outbreaks pose significant public health risks, particularly in institutional settings.
    • School milk programs, while beneficial, can be potential vehicles for foodborne pathogens if contamination occurs.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To describe a large outbreak of campylobacter enteritis linked to school milk consumption.
    • To identify the causative agent, transmission patterns, and potential sources of infection.
    • To investigate novel clinical presentations and establish a basis for future research.

    Main Methods:

    • Epidemiological investigation including case finding and timeline analysis.
    • Microbiological analysis including bacterial isolation and biotyping of Campylobacter strains.
    • Serological analysis of patient serum and experimental infection models.

    Main Results:

    • Approximately 2500 children were infected during a 3-week outbreak primarily affecting 2-7 year olds.
    • Contaminated milk was identified as the most probable source, despite lack of definitive bacteriological proof.
    • Two distinct Campylobacter jejuni strains were identified, with one dominant strain; limited person-to-person transmission was observed.
    • Febrile convulsions were recognized as a novel prodromal sign.

    Conclusions:

    • This represents the largest documented outbreak of campylobacter enteritis, underscoring the risk associated with contaminated milk.
    • Biotyping proved valuable for epidemiological tracking, and the study initiated further research into serotyping and host responses.
    • Experimental models confirmed the bovine udder's potential role in contaminating raw milk with Campylobacter jejuni.

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