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Campylobacter enteritis in Johannesburg
Insights
Routine stool culture for Campylobacter fetus in infants under 2 and diarrhoeic older individuals is effective. This targeted approach ensures Campylobacter fetus (Camp. fetus) detection rates comparable to Salmonella and E. coli, crucial for diagnosing diarrhoea.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Campylobacter fetus (Camp. fetus) is a significant cause of bacterial diarrhoea.
- Establishing optimal diagnostic protocols for Camp. fetus is essential for effective patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine a reasonable protocol for routine stool culture for Camp. fetus in a diagnostic laboratory.
- To evaluate the efficacy of a targeted culture policy compared to universal culturing.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted, focusing stool culture for Camp. fetus on infants under 2 years and older individuals with diarrhoeic stools.
- Isolation rates of Camp. fetus were compared to previously reported universal culturing surveys.
Main Results:
- Camp. fetus was isolated from 4.3% of 2323 stool specimens.
- The targeted culture policy yielded isolation rates comparable to universal culturing.
- Black infants exhibited a significantly higher isolation rate of Camp. fetus than White infants.
Conclusions:
- Routine culture for Camp. fetus is a vital component of diarrhoea investigations.
- A partially selective culture policy for Camp. fetus achieves recovery rates similar to Salmonella and enteropathogenic E. coli.
Abstract:
In order to establish a reasonable protocol for a diagnostic laboratory we conducted a survey during which we confined the routine culture of stool samples for Campylobacter fetus to two groups--all infants under 2 years of age, and older children and adults with obviously diarrhoeic stools. Camp. fetus was isolated from 100 of 2323 stool specimens (4,3%). This is within the 3 - 8% isolation rates previously reported from surveys in which all specimens were cultured. Camp. fetus isolates represented 16,9% of all bacterial pathogens isolated, and Black infants showed a significantly greater isolation rate than White infants. We feel that culture for Camp. fetus is an essential part of any routine bacteriological investigation of diarrhoea. A partially selective culture policy for Camp. fetus will result in a recovery rate at least equal to that of Salmonella and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.