Campylobacteriosis
Campylobacteriosis is among the most common bacterial infections of humans. It produces an inflammatory, sometimes bloody, diarrhea or dysentery syndrome. It is responsible for proctocolitis in participants of anoreceptive intercourse, bacteremia in AIDS patients and other immunocompromised patients, and travelers' diarrhea. Helicobacter pylori is closely related to Campylobacter and causes peptic ulcer disease.
Campylobacter organisms are curved or spiral, motile, non–spore-forming, gram-negative rods. The known routes of transmission are fecal-oral, person-to-person sexual contact, raw milk and poultry ingestion, and waterborne (ie, through contaminated water supplies). Exposure to sick pets, especially puppies, has also been associated with outbreaks. The infectious dose is 1000-10,000 bacteria. Campylobacter species are sensitive to hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and acid reduction treatment can reduce the amount of inoculum needed to cause disease.