What is it?

Campylobacter jejuni is a gram negative microaerophilic bacteria. It is the leading cause for bacterial diarrheal illness in North America. It causes more diseases than Shigella and Salmonella combined!

The organism is commonly found in the intestines of poultry, cattle, swine, rodents, wild birds, goats, sheep, cats and dogs. The illness in humans is called campylobacteriosis.

What are the symptoms of campylobacteriosis?

Symptoms usually appear within 2 to 5 days after consuming the bacteria. It takes most people a few days to a few weeks to recover.

The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, cramps, nausea and vomiting. There can be other rare complications (Guillain-Barré syndrome, septicemia, arthritis (short term))

How do you avoid getting sick?

Camplylobacter is found on most poultry and careful handling is warranted. Cross contamination is a great danger as the infectious dose is very low. Always wash your hands after handling poultry (or any kinds of foods). Clean and sanitize all food contact surfaces.

Keep raw foods separate from cooked & ready to eat foods.

Keep raw foods cold until they are to be cooked. Refrigerate or freeze raw poultry and meat immediately after purchase.

Use a thermometer to ensure the proper internal temperature is achieved when cooking. This will kill the bacteria. See our fact sheets on the proper use of thermometers and temperatures required.

Wash your hands after petting cats and dogs. Avoid raw milk and use only safe potable water.