Campylobacteriosis is the leading cause of diarrhoea in the developed world, who the number of cases exceeding those salmonellosis and shigellosis. Campylobacter jejune is a harmless inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract of a variety of wild and domestic animals. Studies have revealed that as many as 30-100% of poultry 40-60% of cattle, and 60-80% of swine carry the organism in there intestinal tracts.
For this reason, the organisms principally associated with foods of animal origin. A comprehension survey of US retail fresh red meat and poultry 4-5% of pork, 3.5%of beef and 8 % of lamb contained C. jejuni and/or C.coli.
C. jejune frequently contaminates raw chicken. Surveys show that 20 to 100% of retail chickens are contaminated. This is not overly surprising since many healthy chickens carry these bacteria in there intestinal tract.
Raw milk is also source of infections. The bacterial are often carried by healthy cattle and by flies on farms. Non-chlorinated water may also be a source of infections. However, properly cooking chicken, pasteurising milk, and chlorinating drinking water will kill the bacteria.
Foods associated with Campylobacter jejuni
