Campylobacteriosis |
Overview Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by Campylobacter bacteria. Campylobacter jejuni C. fetus and C. coli are the types that usually cause campylobacteriosis in people. C. jejuni causes most cases of the illness. C. jejuni primarily affects children under the age of 5 and young adults between 15 and 29. Cases occur much more frequently in the summer months (late summer and early fall) than in winter. Symptoms If you are infected with Campylobacter you may have no symptoms. If you do they may include:
Campylobacteriosis usually lasts for 2 to 5 days but in some cases as long as 10 days. Some people infected with Campylobacter develop arthritis. A small number of people with campylobacteriosis may develop Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) one of the leading causes of acute paralysis. This rare condition develops between 2 to 4 weeks after Campylobacter infection and usually after diarrhea has disappeared. People with GBS suffer from increasing paralysis of the limbs which lasts for several weeks. In more severe cases they develop breathing problems requiring very long hospital stays. Causes You can get infected from handling raw poultry eating undercooked poultry drinking non-chlorinated water or raw milk or handling infected animal or human feces. Most frequently poultry and cattle waste are the sources of the bacteria but feces from puppies kittens and birds also may be contaminated. Treatment Most people infected with Campylobacter will get better with no special treatment. If you need treatment your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic such as ciprofloxacin or azithromycin. Erythromycin helps treat diarrhea caused by Campylobacter. If you have diarrhea be sure to drink plenty of water to avoid dehyrdration. Prevention
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