Five cases of Campylobacter jejuni/coli bacteremia

During a 3-year period (1977-1979) 5 cases of Campylobacter jejuni/coli (CJC) bacteremia were observed in the south of Sweden. Four of the 5 patients had diarrhoea and 3 of 4 patients tested showed a serological response to a homologous strain. This accumulation of bacteremia cases may be explained from the short duration between the onset of high fever (less than 38.5 degrees C) and obtaining blood cultures, and the use of blind subcultures in the laboratory procedures.