Campylobacter infection (bacteria in gut)

Abdomen | Gastroenterology | Campylobacter infection (bacteria in gut) (Disease)


Description

Campylobacteriosis is an infection caused by the Campylobacter bacterium. It is one of the most common bacterial infections of humans, often a foodborne illness.

Symptoms of food poisoning from Campylobacter usually occur 2 to 5 days after a person eats contaminated food, but may take up to 10 days to appear. The most common symptom of a Campylobacter infection is diarrhea, which is often bloody. Typical symptoms include: fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache and muscle pain. Although complications from Campylobacter food poisoning are unlikely, they do occur in some cases. They are: Guillan-Barré Syndrome, the most common cause of acute generalized paralysis in the western world; Reactive Arthritis; other complications. Campylobacter may also cause appendicitis or infect specific parts of the body, including the abdominal cavity, the heart, the central nervous system, the gall bladder, the urinary tract, or the blood stream.

Causes and Risk factors

The bacteria is carried by animals and can be passed to humans in contaminated food, especially poultry, causing food poisoning. The known routes of Campylobacter transmission include fecal-oral, person-to-person sexual contact, unpasteurized raw milk and poultry ingestion, and waterborne.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The infection is usually self-limiting, and in most cases, symptomatic treatment by liquid and electrolyte replacement is enough in human infections. Antidiarrheal medication may also help lessen symptoms. Finding an effective antibiotic is the key to treating this bacterial infection. ...