| Campylobacter jejuni | Description
Bacterium that causes campylobacteriosis and bacterial gastroenteritis | Structure
Campylobacter jejuni is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic, curved or spiral-shaped bacterium belonging to the family Campylobacteraceae. The organism possesses one or more polar flagella that provide characteristic corkscrew-like motility, enabling movement through intestinal mucus and facilitating colonization of the gastrointestinal tract. C. jejuni is widely distributed among domestic and wild animals, particularly poultry, which serve as major reservoirs of human infection. The bacterium is one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and is commonly transmitted through consumption of undercooked poultry, unpasteurized milk, contaminated water, or direct contact with infected animals. Campylobacter jejuni possesses numerous virulence factors that promote adherence, invasion, toxin production, and immune evasion, contributing to intestinal inflammation and disease. | Diagnosis
The diagnosis of Campylobacter jejuni infection is performed through microbiological, molecular, and antigen detection methods. Isolation of the organism from stool specimens using selective culture media under microaerophilic conditions remains a standard diagnostic approach. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays provide rapid and highly sensitive detection of Campylobacter DNA and are increasingly included in multiplex gastrointestinal pathogen panels. Antigen detection assays may also be used in some clinical laboratories. Laboratory findings are often nonspecific but may include elevated inflammatory markers and fecal leukocytes. Accurate diagnosis is important because the clinical presentation can resemble infections caused by Salmonella, Shigella, pathogenic Escherichia coli, and other enteric pathogens. | Symptoms
Campylobacter jejuni infection typically develops following an incubation period of approximately two to five days after exposure. Clinical manifestations commonly include diarrhea, which may become bloody, abdominal cramping, fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, and malaise. The abdominal pain may be severe enough to mimic acute appendicitis. Most infections are self-limiting and resolve within several days to one week; however, severe disease may occur in young children, elderly individuals, and immunocompromised patients. Important post-infectious complications include reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune neurological disorder that can result in progressive muscle weakness and paralysis. In rare cases, bloodstream infection and other invasive complications may occur. |
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