Epidemiologic characteristics of &lt;i&gt;Campylobacter&lt;/i&gt; infections in high-income countries: a systematic review

G Gill

doi:10.36233/0372-9311-167

Abstract

Introduction. The Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of foodborne illnesses in high-income countries. In contrast to other infectious diseases, the number of Campylobacter cases has increased in developed countries over the last ten years. A systematic review has been conducted to identify the factors contributing to incidence of Campylobacter infection in developed countries and to estimate it by age, sex, geography, and season.Materials and methods. The review was limited to studies published in English from 2010-2021; eight nationwide surveillance and register-based cohort studies, which met the selection criteria, were included in the review.Results. While the highest incidence of Campylobacter infection was reported among young children living in rural areas, the highest number of Campylobacter cases among adults was recorded in urban settings. Nevertheless, population-wise, children and older adults are most affected, while the incidence rates are higher in males than in females, with cases peaking every summer.Conclusion. Campylobacter infection is a public health concern in high-income countries, being difficult to eradicate and having become an urgent challenge to the existing well-developed surveillance systems. Additionally, the threat of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter is growing at an alarming rate. The reasons behind Campylobacter affecting more men than women as well as the age and geographic distribution of the infection still need thorough research.

Highlights

The Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of foodborne illnesses in high-income countries
The genus Campylobacter consists of 32 species and 9 subspecies; two species, C. jejuni and C. coli are most common pathogens in humans and the leading cause of Campylobacter outbreaks [2]
The PubMed and Google Scholar search engines were used to find the articles with the following keywords and keyword combinations: Campylobacter, Campylobacter species, foodborne illness outbreaks, epidemiologic trends, epidemiologic characteristics, REVIEWS

Summary

Introduction

The Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of foodborne illnesses in high-income countries. A systematic review has been conducted to identify the factors contri buting to incidence of Campylobacter infection in developed countries and to estimate it by age, sex, geography, and season. Campylobacter infection is a public health concern in high-income countries, being difficult to eradicate and having become an urgent challenge to the existing well-developed surveillance systems. Campylobacter infection is classified both as zoonotic and foodborne It has a zoonotic nature because is carried by animals, being especially common for chickens [3] and is foodborne because can be transmitted to humans through undercooked and cross-contaminated foods of animal origin. Contaminated water, unpasteurized milk, and rare, though possible human-to-human transmission are a common source of foodborne Campylobacter infection [4]

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