Campylobacter jejuni infections

Worldwide 5-6 million children die each year of diarrheal diseases. Symptoms of GTI are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (in case of Shigella and Entamoeba often bloody), abdominal pain and fever. Causal associations have been found between Campylobacter jejuni infections and subsequent Guillain-Barrd syndrome and between enterohem-orrhagic Escherichia coli colitis and the hemolytic uremic syndrome. In severe or complicated cases a faeces culture (and in case of high fever also two blood cultures) should be taken prior to therapy. 

Smith K.E., J.M. Besser, C.W. Hedberg, F.E. Leano, J.B. Bender, J.H. Wicklund, B.P. Johnson, KA. Moore, M.T. Osterholm, et al. (1999a). Quinolone-resitant Campylobacter jejuni infections in Minnesota, 1992-1998. New England Journal of Medicine 340 1525-1532. 

Alios, B.M. Campylobacter jejuni infections update on emerging issues and trends. Clin Infect Dis 32 (2001) 1201-1206. 

Guerry, P., Ewing, C.P., Hickey, T.E., Prendergast, M.M., Moran, A.P. Sialylation of lipooligosac-charide cores affects immunogenicity and serum resistance of Campylobacter jejuni. Infect Immun 68 (2000) 6656-6662. 

Li, C.Y., Xue, P., Tian, W.Q., Liu, R.C., Yang, C. Experimental Campylobacter jejuni infection in the chicken an animal model of axonal Guillain-Barre syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatr 61 (1996) 279-284. 

Ogawara K, Kuwabara S, Mori M, Hattori T, Koga M, Yuki N (2000) Axonal Guillain-BaiTe syndrome Relation to anti-ganglio-side antibodies and Campylobacter jejuni infection in Japan. Ann Neui ol 48 624-31. 

Rees JH, Gregson NA, Hughes RAC (1995a) Anti-ganglioside GMl antibodies in Guillain-Barre syndrome and their relationship to Campylobacter jejuni infection. Ann Neurol 38 809-816. 

Rees JH, Vaughan RW, Kondeatis E, Hughes RAC (1995b) HLA-class n alleles in Guillain-Barre syndrome and Miller Fisher syndrome and their association with preceding Campylobacter jejuni infection. J Neuroimmunol 62 53—57. 

Yuki N, Ho TW, Tagawa Y Koga M, Li CY, Hirata K, Griffin JW (1999) Autoantibodies to GMlb and GalNAc-GDla Relationship to Campylobacter jejuni infection and acute motor axonal neuropathy in China. J Neurol Sci 164 134—138. 

Ho TW, Mishu B, Li CY, Gao CY, Comblath DR, Griffin JW, Asbury AK, Blaser MJ, McKhann GM (1995) GuiUain-Barre syndrome in northern China. Relationship to Campylobacter jejuni infection and anti-glycoUpid antibodies. Brain 118 597-605. 

Friedman CR, Neimann J, Wegener HC, Tauxe RV (2000) Epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni infections in the United States and other industriahzed nations. In Campylobacter (Nachamkin I, Blaser Ml, eds), pp 121-138. Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology. 

Yuki N, Sato S, Itoh T, Miyatake T (1991) HLA-B35 and acute axonal polyneuropathy following Campylobacter jejuni infection. Neurology 41 1561-1563. 

The issue, however, is real because it was considered of such magnitude that the US Food and Drug Administration banned the use of the fluoroquinolone, enrofloxacin, for use in poultry in 2006 because of the supposed links with fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter jejuni infections in man. It is interesting to note that this ban seemingly has had no effect on fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolated from human cases of infection nor from isolates from chickens, as detailed by the NARMS 2009 Executive Report (Table 17.1). ... 

T. M. Wassenaar, M. Kist and A. de Jong, Re-analysis of the risks attributed to ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter jejuni infections, Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents, 30, 195-201. 

M. J. Blaser, Epidemiologic and clinical features of Campylobacter jejuni infections, J. Infect. Dis., 1997, 176(Suppl. 2), S103-S105. 

---