Campylobacter
OVERVIEW
Campylobacter is a bacteria which causes a disease called Campylobacteriosis.Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by eating or handling contaminated food or drinking contaminated beverages. Health care providers report more than 10,000 cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yearly, of which about 100 people die. It occurs more frequently in summer than winter.
Infectious diseases spread through food or beverages are a common, distressing, and sometimes life-threatening problem for millions of people in the United States and around the world. CDC estimates 76 million people suffer foodborne illnesses each year in the United States, accounting for 325,000 hospitalizations and more than 5,000 deaths.
Foodborne disease is extremely costly. Health experts estimate that the yearly cost of all foodborne diseases in this country is 5 to 6 billion dollars in direct medical expenses and lost productivity.
There are more than 250 known foodborne diseases. They can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Natural and manufactured chemicals in food products also can make people sick. Some diseases are caused by toxins (poisons) from the disease-causing microbe (germ), others by the human body's reactions to the microbe itself.
CAUSE
Campylobacteriosis is caused by bacteria called Campylobacter. Campylobacter jejuni, C. fetus, and C. coli are the types that usually cause the disease in people.
C. jejuni causes most cases of this foodborne disease. According to CDC, C. jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial diarrheal illness in the United States, affecting about 2.4 million people every year. The bacteria cause between 5 and 14 percent of all diarrheal illness worldwide. C. jejuni primarily affects children less than 5 years old and young adults (15 to 29 years old).
TRANSMISSION
You can get infected with Campylobacter from handling raw poultry, eating undercooked poultry, drinking nonchlorinated water or raw milk, or handling infected human or animal feces. Most frequently, poultry and cattle waste are the sources of the bacteria, but feces from puppies, kittens, and birds also may be contaminated with the bacteria.
SYMPTOMS
If you are infected with Campylobacter, you may have no symptoms. If you do, they can include
- Diarrhea (often bloody)
- Abdominal cramping and pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Tiredness
TREATMENT
If you are like most people infected with Campylobacter, you will get better with no special treatment. If you need treatment, your health care provider can prescribe an antibiotic such as ciprofloxacin or azithromycin. Erythromycin helps treat diarrhea caused by Campylobacter. If you have diarrhea, be sure to drink plenty of water.
PREVENTION
- Wash hands before preparing food.
- Wash hands immediately after handling raw poultry or other meat.
- Wash thoroughly with soap and hot water all food preparation surfaces and utensils that have come in contact with raw meat.
- Cook poultry products to an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit for breast meat and 180 degrees Fahrenheit for thigh meat.
- Don't drink unpasteurized milk and water that isn't chlorinated or boiled.
- Wash hands after handling pet feces or visiting petting zoos.
Informations obtained from National Institute of Health.