Campylobacter enteritis Health Article

Definition

Campylobacter enteritis is an infection of the small intestine with Campylobacter jejuni bacteria.

Alternative Names

Food poisoning - campylobacter enteritis; Infectious diarrhea - campylobacter enteritis; Bacterial diarrhea

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Campylobacter enteritis is a common cause of intestinal infection. These bacteria also cause one of the many types of traveler's diarrhea.

People usually get infected by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, often raw poultry, fresh produce, or unpasteurized milk. A person can also be infected by close contact with infected people or animals. Symptoms start 2 - 4 days after exposure and generally last 1 week.

Risk factors include recent family infection with C. jejuni, recently eating improperly prepared food, or recent travel in an area with poor sanitation or cleanliness.

Symptoms

• Cramping abdominal pain
• Fever
• Watery diarrhea, sometimes bloody

Signs and tests

Stool culture for Campylobacter jejuni.

Treatment

The infection typically goes away on its own and is not usually treated with antibiotics. Severe symptoms may respond to treatment with antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and azithromycin.

Self-care measures to avoid dehydration include drinking electrolyte solutions to replace the fluids lost with diarrhea. People with diarrhea, especially children, who are unable to take fluids by mouth because of nausea, may need medical attention and intravenous fluids.

People taking diuretics (water pills) need to be careful when they have diarrhea and may need to stop taking the medicine during the acute episode, if directed to do so by their health care provider.

Expectations (prognosis)

Most people recover in 5-8 days.