Campylobacter Species

Abstract

These Gram-negative bacteria are the most common stool isolate in the United States and are a major cause of diarrhea worldwide. Campylobacter (derived from the Greek for “curved rod”) is most commonly associated with consuming undercooked poultry, raw milk, or untreated water. It is a common veterinary pathogen, and human infection may be contracted from sick animals. Campylobacter jejuni is most commonly associated with food-borne gastroenteritis, along with C. coli and C. laridis, whereas C. fetus and other less common species are more often seen in immunosuppressed patients and homosexual men.