Campylobacter bacteria can cause you to develop diarrhea for up to a week. You might catch a campylobacter infection by eating contaminated foods. Campylobacter infections usually go away without taking antibiotics.
Overview Overview Campylobacter is a type of bacteria. Several species of campylobacter can infect humans. Campylobacter mainly spreads when people consume contaminated water, raw milk, or undercooked poultry. Campylobacter infections are common causes of diarrhea throughout the world. Most people recover from them within a week or so. However, certain people are at risk of more severe campylobacter infections.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f39de906-2963-411e-af41-052210de1d56
Symptoms Signs and Symptoms of Campylobacter Infection Campylobacter infections can cause the following common symptoms: Diarrhea, which could be bloody Stomach cramps Fever Less commonly, this infection can cause nausea, or vomiting. Symptoms will typically begin within two to five days of ingestion of contaminated products. They usually last no longer than seven days.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e1578dd2-ac40-4d64-8b64-05876c3ea4cb
Causes Causes and Risk Factors of Campylobacter Infection The main cause of campylobacter infection is consuming contaminated food products. People commonly develop the infection by eating undercooked meats, like poultry. Raw milk and untreated water may also carry campylobacter.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e0b9820f-8305-4d32-ba1c-1f52f32185a8 You might also develop a campylobacter infection through contact with infected people or animals. However, this is a less common source of transmission.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629144978bb-aa2b-4384-bcc1-948a5aab02df Some people are at a higher risk of getting a campylobacter infection. These individuals include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629bce62bcc-93d5-4fed-bce8-af2778bbc118 People who work with animals People who travel abroad Certain groups are at risk of a more severe infection course if they are infected by campylobacter. These include: Children under age 5 Adults who are at least 65 years old People who have a weakened immune system Pregnant people
Diagnosis How Is Campylobacter Infection Diagnosed? Doctors use laboratory tests to diagnose a campylobacter infection. These include rapid diagnostic tests, which quickly detect the bacteria’s genetic material in a stool sample. Rapid diagnostic tests allow doctors to quickly diagnose the infection. In some cases, doctors might recommend a culture test. This is when doctors first grow a “culture” of the bacteria. By testing this culture, they can find out more information about the campylobacter species which have infected their patient.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629eeee5fcb-3431-4506-9cd5-4e102b0b9816
Treatment Treatment and Medication Options for Campylobacter Infection In many cases, treatment for campylobacter infection is quite limited. Jason Chu, MD , is an emergency medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. He recommends that people “drink fluids or oral electrolyte solutions to prevent dehydration”. You should also “avoid antidiarrheal medications as that can lengthen the infection.” If someone has a more serious campylobacter infection, antibiotics might be necessary. The two main types of antibiotics for campylobacter are fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, and macrolides like azithromycin. As Dr. Chu explains: “There is high resistance to fluoroquinolones around the world and growing resistance in the United States. … [But] macrolides are still effective due to low, stable resistance rates.”
Prevention Prevention of Campylobacter Infection At the individual level, you can prevent campylobacter infections with the following tips:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291828c26e-d0c5-4e98-8cc0-a06a0ef26b9b Thoroughly cooking poultry and meat at 165 degrees F Washing any items that make contact with raw poultry Using separate cutting boards for raw meat Cleaning utensils that come into contact with raw meat On a societal level, maintaining hygienic agricultural and slaughtering practices can reduce the risk of campylobacter infection.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762900763745-ae31-4208-882e-854de30e2dff
Prognosis Campylobacter Infection Prognosis In most cases, campylobacter infection goes away on its own after a few days. It typically does not cause very severe symptoms. However, some people do experience longer or more serious infections.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629dc7febfd-90f1-4cc7-959c-daa7d7c6498e Kari Love, RN, corporate director of infection prevention at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, notes that some people “could become so ill that they develop a bloodstream infection, severe dehydration, and vomiting or abdominal pain.” Dr Love says that this “would require hospitalization for antibiotics and fluid replacement.”
Complications Complications of Campylobacter Infection Sarah Hochman, MD , is the co-director of the Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens Program (AMR), and the section chief of infectious diseases at NYU Langone Health Tisch Hospital in New York City. She explains that due to the body’s immune response, campylobacter infections can sometimes cause complications. These complications include “reactive arthritis, presenting as pain and swelling of the ankles, knees, wrists, and small joints of the hands.” Another campylobacter complication is “Guillain-Barré syndrome, an immune-mediated attack on the peripheral nerves in the body.”
Research and Statistics Research and Statistics: How Common Are Campylobacter Infections? In the United States, campylobacter causes the most bacterial diarrheal infections. The yearly cost of campylobacter infections in the United States is $1.3 to $6.8 billion. Every year, around 1.5 million Americans become ill from campylobacter infections.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762922eedfd5-eb22-40d0-a001-01816f59afbf Worldwide, 1 in every 10 people become ill from this infection each year.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ddaf8367-436c-4ff5-b518-269362ea6632
Disparities and Inequities in Campylobacter Infection Campylobacter infections disproportionately affect people in developing countries. In poorer parts of the world, campylobacter more frequently affects children under 2 years old. These infections can be fatal.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629819cc0fd-9cef-49d0-b4f1-a6b268a0b35d Dr. Hochman also states: “Rates of antibiotic resistance are higher in low- and middle-income countries.”
The Takeaway Campylobacter infections are a common causes of diarrheal illness. You are most likely to become infected with campylobacter by eating undercooked meats or drinking raw milk. You might also get it by coming into contact with infected people or animals. For many people, a campylobacter infection might cause a few days of diarrhea. Older people and those with compromised immune systems may have a more complicated infectious course. However, the prognosis for campylobacter infections is generally excellent.
Resources We Trust Cleveland Clinic: Campylobacter InfectionWorld Health Organization: CampylobacterCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: About Campylobacter InfectionStatPearls: Campylobacter InfectionNew York State Department of Health: Campylobacteriosis
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