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Definition
Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. It mainly affects the intestinal tract. Rarely but it also affect the bloodstream. It is probably the very most common in New York State. Most of the cases campylobacteriosis are seen in the summer months. Outbreaks are uncommon. Active surveillance through Food Net indicates about 15 cases are diagnosed each year for each 100,000 persons in the population. Many more cases go undiagnosed or unreported, and campylobacteriosis is estimated to affect over 1 million persons every year, or 0.5% of the general population.
Causes
The bacteria of these infections are spread by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated by the feces of an infected person. It is also spread if humans are from contact with an infected pet.Improperly cooked poultry, untreated water, and unpasteurized milk are the main sources of infection. Most farm animals and meat sources can carry the organism. Pets such as dogs and cats (especially puppies and kittens) can also be sources of this illness.
Generalized form of the infection can occur in little children under 1 year of age. Chronic course of the disease is possible; such form of the process is likely to develop without a distinct acute phase. Chronic campylobacteriosis features long period of sub-febrile temperature, asthenia and depletion; eye damage, arthritis, endocarditis may develop if infection is untreated. They also drool for ten to twenty weeks after eating the contaminated food.
Symptoms
Campylobacteriosis may cause many symptoms.
Some common symptoms are-
- Mild or severe diarrhea
- Fever
- Traces of blood in the stool
- Nausea
- Vomiting and
- Frequently bloody diarrhea.
Many infections may be without symptoms. The duration of the illness is usually two to ten days, but symptoms, particularly abdominal cramps, may recur for up to three months after the infection.
Treatment
Most people infected with campylobacteria will recover on their own or require fluids to prevent dehydration. Patients should drink plenty of fluids as long as the diarrhea present at there lasts stage. Antibiotics are occasionally used to treat severe cases or to shorten the carrier phase, which may be important for food handlers, children in day care, and health care workers. Your doctor will make the decision about whether antibiotics are necessary. Studies in children with dysentery due to C jejuni have shown benefit from early treatment with erythromycin. Treatment with antibiotics, therefore, depends on the severity of symptoms. Ant motility agents, such as loperamide, can lead to prolonged illness or intestinal perforation in any invasive diarrhea, and should be avoided.
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