Campylobacter

Campylobacter is a type of bacteria that can cause a diarrheal disease in people. Its name means "curved bacteria", as the germ typically appears in a comma or "s" shape. According to its scientific classification, it is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that is motile.

The germ is common in nature and in domestic animals. It is frequently found in raw food of vegetable and animal origin. Its numbers can be very high in some foods, like raw poultry. Due to their diverse natural reservoir, some Campylobacter can also be detected in the air, although not at an epidemiologically significant level. The disease that some of the species of the bacteria can cause is called campylobacteriosis.

At least a dozen species of Campylobacter have been implicated in human disease, with C. jejuni (80–90%) and C. coli (5–10%) being the most common. C. jejuni is recognized as one of the main causes of bacterial foodborne disease in many developed countries. It is the number one cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in Europe, with over 246,000 cases confirmed annually. C. jejuni infection can also cause bacteremia in immunocompromised people, while C. lari is a known cause of recurrent diarrhea in children. C. fetus can cause spontaneous abortions in cattle and sheep, and is an opportunistic pathogen in humans.