Studies on sporadic Campylobacter enteritis

Abstract

Three-year study (April 1979 to May 1982) was carried out on Campylobacter enteritis in sporadic cases of diarrhea. Stool cultures taken from 1114 patients with acute diarrhea resulted in 13.6% and 8.6% isolation of Campylobacter in children and adults, respectively. The frequency of isolation of Campylobacter was superior in numbers to that of other enteropathogens among the same 1114 patients with diarrhea. Stool cultures were also taken from 6815 asymptomatic subjects including pregnant women and infants, and only 1% of the cultures were positive for Campylobacter.The age distribution of 111 patients with Campylobacter enteritis indicated an excess of infection in children: the excess, however, may mean that children withdiarrhea are more likely to be taken to hospital and that sampled are adults. Males were infected more often than females.The symptoms included diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever which were not specific in Campylobacter enteritis.It was noticed that occurrence of gross or occult blood in stool specimens and in the microscopy of stools presence of neutrophiles and red cells and campylobacters showing specific morphology and motility yielded valuable information for the diagnosis of Campylobacter enteritis. Apparent rising antibody titers of sera from convalescent patients and a long term positive stool cultures (2 to 7 weeks) were also confirmend as important features of the enteritis.Biochemical characteristics and enzyme profiles of human isolates of Campylobacter were studied. Although insignificant differences of some enzymatic activities were observed among the isolates, all but 2 were determined to be Campylobacter jejuni.The two hippurate negative isolates were likely to be C. coli.Two selective media, Skirrow's agar and Butzler's agar modified by adding 40u./ml of colistin, for the isolation of Campylobacter were compared using 48 positive stool specimens. It was appeared that the modified Butzler's agar was superior to the former in selectivity and isolation of C. jejuni and C. coli.