Campylobacter

The top five foodborne hazards in Europe, account for about 70% of the health burdens related to foodborne illness. Campylobacter jejuni is ranked as the second most important contributor to health burden caused by foodborne illness in Europe and accounts for more than 200 000 cases of disease yearly. The best way to prevent illness is to heat thoroughly and keep your kitchen, your kitchen utilities and yourself clean.

Campylobacter jejuni in poultry

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing and worryingly challenge in Campylobacter and reduction in the possibility to treat the infection leads to increased importance of preventing infection in all parts of the food chain. The most important sources of confirmed cases food-borne Campylobacter outbreaks are contaminated poultry. It has been estimated that 20-30 % of Campylobacter cases could have been prevented by safe consumer behaviour. Occasionally, campylobacteriosis can lead to complications, such as types of arthritis or Guillain-Barré syndrome, a severe neurological disorder. It is ranked as number three of zoonotic diseases causing death with a case-fatality rate of 0.05% and a hospitalization rate of 44%

Facts about Campylobacter

Burden: The disease burden of Campylobacter in Europe is 9 DALY per 100 000 people each year (equals to 82 000 DALY each year). DALY: (Disability Adjusted Life years) is a measure for the total health burden where one DALY can be thought of as one year of “healthy” life lost. Cases: More than 4 mill European citizens suffer from campylobacteriosis each year. Deaths: Campylobacter causes more than 400 deaths each year. Sources: The most common sources for Campylobacter are poultry and milk.

Being the most wide spread food borne illness Campylobacter cases occur more frequent than Salmonella, but result in fewer deaths. Many cases could have been prevented by safe consumption of chicken.