From Plate to Patient: A Systematic Review of Food-Related Campylobacteriosis Case Reports.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Campylobacteriosis, primarily caused by Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, and C. fetus, remains the leading bacterial cause of foodborne gastroenteritis globally, with increasing incidence in both developed and developing nations.

METHODS

This systematic review synthesizes case reports of food-related campylobacteriosis published between January 2000 and September 2024, retrieved from Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. From 9407 identified articles, 63 case reports (66 individual cases) were included following PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

The analysis reveals a rising global trend in campylobacteriosis, with the highest case reports from the United States (20.9%) and Japan (20.9%), predominantly linked to poultry consumption. Cases were more frequent in males (74.6%) than in females (25.4%), with a median age of 34.5 years. Common symptoms included diarrhea (82.9% in immunocompetent individuals), vomiting, nausea, and fatigue, with severe complications such as myocarditis, bacteremia, and meningitis observed in immunocompromised patients. C. jejuni was the most prevalent species (54%), followed by C. coli (12%) and C. fetus (25%).

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced global surveillance, improved food safety practices, and targeted public health interventions to mitigate the burden of campylobacteriosis, particularly for high-risk groups and poultry-related transmission.