Background:
The genus Campylobacter has recently been discovered as a human pathogen. Reason being, because they are microaerophilic, requiring low concentrations of oxygen. But, the Campylobacter infections occur more often than Salmonella and Shigella diarrheas combined. In the United States there are about 2 million cases annually, mostly among college students.
Micro Properties:
*Campylobacters are Gram-negative, curved rods (from Greek "campylo" which means curved).
*These organisms are microaerophilic and motile.
*They possess a typical Grem-negative cell wall containing LPS endotoxin.
*There are approximately 50 heat-labile "K" (capsular) and "H" ( flagellar) antigens and 60 heat-stable "O" (somatic) antigens associated with different species of Campylobacter.
*They use amino acid and the citric acid cycle intermediates for growth, and C. jejuni grows best at 42 degrees.
Pathogenesis:
Campylobacter have a low vital capacity needing only 800 bacteria to infect a healthy person. Illness generally occurs after a 2-4 day incubation period when bacteria multiply in the intestine, reaching numbers close to Salmonella and Shigella infections (up to 1,000,000,000 bacteria per gram of feces). Symptoms are acute enteritis with fever, diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. Illness is generally self-limiting but may last a week. C. jejuni appears to produce an enterotoxin similar to both the cholera and E. coli toxins.
Host Defenses:
Defense that helps to combat Campylobacter has not been exactly characterized yet, but gastric acid and secretary IgA may be important.
Epidemiology:
The genus Campylobacter is widely distributed among cattle, sheep, dogs, cats, and other animals existing as normal flora. Human infection results from the ingestion of contaminated water, milk or undercooked foods, also from eating raw clams.
Conclusion:
To conclude, this organism can be isolated through special techniques. Growth occurs in 5% Oxygen, 10% Carbon dioxide, and 85% Nitrogen at 42 degrees. A gram stain of the fecal material may reveal curved or "comma" shaped organisms. In order to control the spread of this disease, being sanitary is most important. Proper disposal of feces and fecal containing material, and cooking foods thoroughly can help prevent the disease. In case of prolonged illness, erythromycin or tetracycline can be used.
*Disclaimer - This report was written by a student participaring in a microbiology course at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. The accuracy of the contents of this report is not guaranteed and it is recommended that you seek additional sources of information to verify the contents.
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