Campylobacter
Campylobacter
Updated: 02/03/2024
© Jun Wang, MD, PhD
General features
- Most common cause of bacterial diarrhea in the US
- Two significant species: C jununi, C coli
- G-negative curved rods with polar flagella (“gulls’ wings”)
- Oxidase-positive, Catalase positive
- Sensitive to gastric acid, posting a higher risk in patients with reduced gastric acid production, such as autoimmune gastritis
- Invasion of mucosa facilitated by flagella, high molecular weight plasmids, superficial adhesins, and chemotactic factors
- Fecal-oral transmission, commonly associated with poultry
- Invade intestinal mucosa
Key clinical features
- Abrupt onset of abdominal pain and inflammatory diarrhea
- Commonly self-limited, lasting 3-5 days
- Rarely severe colitis with toxic megacolon
- Serotype O:19 may be associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Cross-reactivity with neural glycosphingolipids
- Reactive arthritis
Diagnosis
- Culture: Campylobacter or Skirrow agar at 42.0°C
Management
- Fluid replacement
- Erythromycin
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