Symptoms of Campylobacter infection

The illness caused by ingestion of Campylobacter bacteria is called campylobacteriosis.  Diarrhea is the most consistent and prominent manifestation of campylobacteriosis, and is often bloody (Chin, 2000, MMWR, 2008, May 21).  Typical symptoms of C. jejuni infection also include fever, nausea, and vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, and muscle pain.  A majority of cases are mild, do not require hospitalization, and may be self-limited; however, Campylobacter jejuni infection can be severe and life-threatening.  Death is more common when other diseases (e.g., cancer, liver disease, and immuno-deficiency diseases) are present.

Children under the age of five and young adults aged 15-29 are the age groups most frequently affected.  The incubation period – the time between exposure to the bacterium and the onset of the first symptom – is typically two to five days, but onset may occur as many as 10 days after ingestion (Chin, 2000; CDC, 2008, May 21).  The illness usually lasts no more than one week; however, severe cases may persist for up to three weeks, and roughly 25% of individuals experience symptom relapse.

Complications of Campylobacter infection

Long-term consequences can sometimes result from a Campylobacter infection. Some people may develop a rare disease that affects the nerves of the body following campylobacteriosis.  This disease is called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).  Although rare, it is the most common cause of acute generalized paralysis in the Western world (Ang, 2001; van Doorn, 2008).  It begins several weeks after the diarrheal illness in a small percentage of Campylobacter victims.  GBS occurs when a person’s immune system makes antibodies against components of Campylobacter and these antibodies attack components of the body’s nerve cells because they are chemically similar to bacterial components (Ang, et al., 2001; van Doorn et al, 2008).  This phenomenon where the immune system attacks itself following Campylobacter infection is called “molecular mimicry.”

It is estimated that approximately one in every 1000 reported campylobacteriosis cases leads Guillain-Barré syndrome (CDC, 2008, May 21). As many as 40% of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases in this country occur following campylobacteriosis (Rees et al., 1995). Miller Fisher Syndrome is another, related neurological syndrome that can follow campylobacteriosis and is also caused by immunologic mimicry (Ang et al., 2001).  

Another chronic condition that may be associated with Campylobacter infection is arthritis called Reiter’s syndrome.  This is a reactive arthritis that most commonly affects large weight-bearing joints such as the knees and the lower back.  It is a complication that is strongly associated with a particular genetic make-up; persons who have the human lymphocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) are most susceptible.

Campylobacter may also cause appendicitis or infect the abdominal cavity (peritonitis), the heart (carditis), the central nervous system (meningitis), the gallbladder (cholecystitis) the urinary tract, and the blood stream.