What causes campylobacteriosis?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Causes of Campylobacteriosis
The cause of campylobacteriosis is bacteria of the genus Campylobacter, mainly C. jejuni, Campilobacteriaceae. The genus Campilobacter includes nine species. Campylobacter - mobile gram-negative rods 1.5-2 μm in length, 0.3-0.5 μm in diameter, have flagellum. Grow on agar media with the addition of erythrocytes and antibiotics (vancomycin, amphotericin B) to suppress co-flora, form small colonies. The optimum growth temperature is 42 ° C, pH 7. Bacteria form hydrogen sulphide, they give a positive reaction to catalase. They have thermostable O-antigens and thermolabile H-antigens. The most important surface antigens are LPS and acid-soluble protein fraction.
Pathogenicity factors are flagella, surface specific adhesins, enterotoxins, thermolabile diarrhea and thermostable endotoxin. C. Jejuni and other types of campylobacter live in the digestive tract of turkeys, chickens, sheep, cattle, as well as cats, dogs and other animals.
Campylobacter quickly die with heating, stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, in hay, water, manure - up to 3 weeks, and in frozen carcasses of animals - up to several months. They are sensitive to erythromycin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, kanamycin, tetracyclines, gentamicin, are insensitive to penicillin, insensitive to sulfanilamide preparations, trimethoprim.
[Pathogenesis of Campylobacteriosis
The causative agent enters the body through the digestive tract. Infectious dose depends on individual sensitivity. Of great importance are the infectious dose, the severity of the adhesive and invasive ability of the pathogen, as well as its enterotoxic and cytotoxic activity. A direct relationship was found between the severity and duration of the disease and the degree of adhesive activity of the bacteria. The following stages of bacteria penetration into the body are distinguished:
- adhesion (adherence to the surface of enterocytes);
- invasion (with the help of a flagella the cell membrane of the enterocyte is damaged and the pathogen penetrates into the cell);
- bacteremia (rapid penetration of bacteria into the blood);
- toxin formation (when microbes get into the blood, toxins are released that cause the development of general intoxication);
- hematogenous seeding of organs and tissues.
Histological examination of biopsy specimens taken during colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy reveals an acute exudative inflammatory process, often with a hemorrhagic component. Abundant vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration, hypovolemic shock. In individuals with a well-functioning immune system, infection is not accompanied by clinically pronounced manifestations (subclinical form, healthy bacteriocarrier).
Epidemiology of Campylobacteriosis
Campylobacteriosis is widespread in all countries. Campylobacter causes up to 10% of acute diarrheal diseases. With the consumption of milk, most food flares of campylobacteriosis in the United States are related, up to 80% of diseases account for these outbreaks.
The reservoir and source of the causative agent of infection are many kinds of animals, mostly domestic, less often - sick people and carriers. Perhaps asymptomatic carriage of the pathogen, as well as infection of the newborn. In healthy people, bacteriocarrier (about 1%) is noted. The main way of transmission of causative agents of campylobacteriosis is food. Most often, infection occurs when eating infected meat: beef, pork, poultry. Milk plays a significant role as a factor in the transmission of pathogens. The contact-household way of infection has a slight epidemiological significance, however, when directly contacting domestic and agricultural animals this way can not be underestimated. Pregnant women are diagnosed with transplacental transmission of infection. This leads to spontaneous abortion and intrauterine infection of the embryo. In Russia, campylobacteriosis is common in many cities and regions, accounting for 6.5-12.2% of the total number of acute intestinal diseases. They note the summer-autumn seasonality of campylobacteriosis. Prevention measures consist in observing the sanitary and hygienic norms of slaughtering animals, observing the rules of personal hygiene, protecting the products from contamination, and careful heat treatment of meat products. Specific prophylaxis is not developed.