Fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infections: eating poultry outside of the home and foreign travel are risk factors

Abstract

A 12-month, population-based, case-control study of Campylobacter infections was conducted at Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network surveillance areas during 1998-1999. Of 858 Campylobacter isolates tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin, 94 (11%) were resistant. Travel outside of the United States was reported by 27 (42%) of 64 patients with fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infection and by 51 (9%) of 582 patients with fluoroquinolone-susceptible Campylobacter infection (odds ratio [OR], 7.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.3-13.4). When patients with domestically acquired fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infection were compared with matched healthy control subjects in a multivariate analysis, those infected were 10 times more likely to have eaten chicken or turkey cooked at a commercial establishment (18 [55%] of 33 case patients vs. 7 [21%] of 33 controls; matched OR, 10.0; 95% CI, 1.3-78). Although travel outside of the United States was associated with fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infection, most infections among study participants were domestically acquired. This study provides additional evidence that poultry is an important source of domestically acquired fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infection. Control measures should include efforts to improve food handling in commercial establishments.