Update on human Campylobacter jejuni infections

Abstract

Purpose of review: The present review will update the reader to the clinical, epidemiological and immunologic advances in the field of human campylobacteriosis.

Recent findings: New advances in human campylobacteriosis include an increased appreciation of the role of Campylobacter jejuni in postinfectious sequelae, a broadened understanding of Campylobacter-associated disease burden and the interplay between host immunity and bacterial factors. Antibiotic management has also become more complex: C. jejuni has undergone a rapid increase in resistance to the fluoroquinolone antibiotics and concurrently, postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome has been associated with a longer duration of untreated infection. In anticipation of new candidate C. jejuni vaccines, progress in understanding human immune responses to infection has been made via human experimental infections. These tightly controlled studies have also increased our understanding of the natural history of campylobacteriosis as well as observations of recrudescent infection following treatment with C. jejuni-sensitive antibiotics.

Summary: As one of the most common agents of bacterial gastroenteritis and a major health burden for both developing world and industrialized nations, Campylobacter infections remain a high priority for research efforts to improve prevention and management. Priorities for the future include vaccine development, pathogen-specific immunity and identification of risk factors for postinfectious sequelae.