You've Got What? Campylobacter infection
PDF 104 KB
Campylobacter infection (campylobacteriosis) is a bacterial infection which most commonly causes gastroenteritis (also known as 'gastro') but may also cause illness affecting the entire body.
Campylobacter infection is a notifiable condition1
Eating contaminated food is the most frequent cause of this infection. Campylobacter is commonly found in raw or undercooked poultry meat. Occassionally other sources of infection include:
Symptoms may include:
Vomiting is not common. The most severe infections occur in the very young, the elderly and malnourished people.
Rarely, Campylobacter infection may lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition which causes muscular paralysis.
Diagnosis is made by growing Campylobacter bacteria from a faecal specimen or by detecting the bacteria in a faecal sample using a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test in a pathology laboratory.
(time between becoming infected and developing symptoms)
Usually 2 to 5 days, with a range of 1 to 10 days.
(time during which an infected person can infect others)
A person is infectious for as long as the Campylobacter bacteria are in their faeces, which may be for an average of 2 to 3 weeks after symptoms are gone. The risk of infecting others decreases when diarrhoea is no longer present.
Antibiotic treatment is not usually needed for Campylobacter infection. Recovery from symptoms usually occurs within a few days.
The following are general recommendations for the treatment of gastroenteritis:
Seek medical advice if there are any of the following symptoms:
1 - In South Australia the law requires doctors and laboratories to report some infections or diseases to SA Health. These infections or diseases are commonly referred to as 'notifiable conditions'.