Campylobacter gastrointestinal infections

Mother s milk also contains several prebiotic carbohydrates that the baby cannot digest and these too feed the friendly bifidobacteria in the baby s gut. The more bifidobacteria there are in the gut the less there will be of those which cause gastrointestinal infections, namely the various species of Campylobacter, Salmonella and Clostridium. In formula fed babies these bad bacteria account for much of the microflo-... 

Moran, A.P., Prendergast, M.M. Molecular mimicry in Campylobacter jejuni and Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharides contribution of gastrointestinal infections to autoimmunity. J Autoimmun 16 (2001) 241-256. 

Campylobacter species are most commonly responsible for outbreaks of bacterial gastroenteritis in developed countries. The majority of die gastrointestinal Campylobacter infections do not require antibiotic treatment and are selflimiting. Where treatment is required, erythromycin is usually recommended. However, fluoroquinolones are often also used pending laboratory results, because they can cover additional bacterial pathogens and are better tolerated than erythromycin. 

The macrolide antibiotics include erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, tylosin, tilmicosin and tiamulin. Clindamycin and lincomycin are related lincosamides. Susceptible bacteria include staphylococci, streptococci, Campylobacter jejunii, Clostridium spp., R. equi, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia spp. Drugs in this group are only effective against a few Gram-negative bacteria in cattle, namely some strains of Pasteurella and Haemophilus spp. Macrolides and lincosamides are associated with causing colitis in horses, so their use is usually restricted to p.o. erythromycin for the treatment of R. equi infections in foals. Subantimicrobial doses of erythromycin are administered i.v. to horses for gastrointestinal prokinetic action. 

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