Clinical and serological studies in patients with Campylobacter fetus ssp. jejuni infection: I. Clinical findings.

Stool samples from 775 patients with diarrhoea referred to a hospital over an 18-month period were cultured for Campylobacter fetus ssp. jejuni, and in 55 patients (7.1%), infections were identified. In addition, one asymptomatic patient had a positive stool sample and serological evidence of a current infection. The patients were aged between 11 and 76 years, the majority being in the age group 15 to 39 years. The symptoms included diarrhoea (in almost 100%), fever (in 80%) and abdominal tenderness (in 35%). Almost half the patients vomited. The total leucocyte count was usually normal, but half the patients showed increased numbers of juvenile neutrophils. Eosinopenia and high serum C-reactive protein were frequently seen in the acute phase of the illness. Complications included haematemesis, pancreatic affection, carditis, reactive arthritis, urticaria, and transient malabsorption in one patient who had had a previous Billroth II operation. Invasive disease was occasionally suggested by clinical manifestations of extensive mesenteric lymphadenitis, septicaemia and focal bone necrosis.