CAMPYLOBACTER: A BRIEF REVIEW OF ITS CAUSES, DIAGNOSTIC APPROACHES AND PREVENTION

Abstract

The most frequent bacterial which is cause of gastroenteritis in humans is Campylobacter. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports around 1.3 million cases of Campylobacter infection in the US occurs per year. This review was designed with the aim to discuss in detail the root causing agents of Campylobacter infection, its diagnostic and prevention methods. Campylobacteriosis starts with the attachment of the pathogenic bacteria to intestinal cells, followed by colonization and, lastly, penetration of the cells following ingestion by the host. Consumption of raw milk, undercooked poultry, and contaminated water have all been associated with Campylobacter infection. Intestinal mucosal Campylobacter toxins proliferate, necrotizing the intestinal villi. A toxin known as cytolethal distending toxins (CDT) damages DNA by acting as a deoxyribonuclease (DNase). Old aged patients and immunocompromised patients are more at risk of morbidity, mortality, and long-term sickness. In addition to additional virulence and survival factors, this review gathers information on motility, chemotaxis, adhesion, invasion, multidrug resistance, and stress response variables. It has been found that mishandling of raw poultry and consumption of undercooked poultry are the major risk factors for human campylobectriosis. Various preventive measures can be adopted to decrease the transmission of the pathogens and the subsequent disease such as the vaccination of the poultry, the health surveillance and the precise food hygiene all over the entire production chain.