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CAMPYLOBACTER
Note for Pet Owners:
This information is provided by
Provet for educational purposes only.
You should seek the advice of
your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise
on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for
your pet. Campylobacter are transmissible from
animals to humans, and so campylobacteriosis is a Zoonotic
disease
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Description
Campylobacter sp cause disease (usually diarrhoea) in a variety of
species including dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, guinea pigs hamsters, rabbits,
rodents and other species - including humans
Cause
Campylobacter are gram-negative motile rods with a poor flagellum. They
require microaerobic conditions to survive. Campylobacter jejuni is most
often associated with the disease in cats, dogs, guinea pigs and other
domesticated species, as well as humans.
The organism can survive in the environment for 3 days or more.
Humans contract the disease by one of the following routes :
- Ingestion
- Direct contact with infected material - usually faeces
Human infection can be contracted from :
- Domestic animals
- Laboratory animals
- Wild animals
Exposure to campylobacter is higher in animals fed raw foods (eg the
BARF diet)
Breed Occurrence
There is no breed predisposition to campylobacter infection.
Human workers most at risk include :
- Agricultural workers
- Animal handlers
Signs
Dog - Many infected dogs show no signs. Stress, the presence of another
disease or other factors (e.g. pregnancy) may increase susceptibility to develop
the disease. Diarrhoea
(watery to bloody with mucus and sometimes
bile-stained) lasting 5-15 days is usually how the disease presents, and it is
most common in dogs less than 6 months old. Occasionally chronic diarrhoea can
result - lasting for months, and sometimes there is an increased body
temperature and an increased white cell (leucocyte ) count.
Cat -Many infected cats show no signs. Usually affected cats are less than 6
months old. Diarrhoea (sometimes bloody) is the sign seen most often, but in
most of the cases reported in the literature other infectious agents were found
to be present as well e.g. toxoplasma, giardia.
Humans - often severe with abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea,
vomiting, fever.
There have been many reported instances of transmission of C.jejuni from
pets to humans however the main source of infection for humans is raw or
undercooked meat (especially chicken). There is also evidence that C.upsalensis
may be a zoonosis as well (dogs and cats).
Complications
C.jejuni has been found in conjunction with inflammation of
the gall-bladder (cholecystitis) and bacterial
infection of the bloodstream (bacteraemia)in dogs
Diagnosis
Examination of fresh faecal smears under dark-field or phase-contrast
microscopy.
Culture of the organism from rectal swabs or faecal samples. Special culture
medium is needed (campylobacter blood agar plates ) and they have to incubated
in a reduced oxygen environment.
Ultrasound will help diagnose gall bladder inflammation (cholecystitis).
Treatment
Erythromycin is the drug of choice to treat camylobacter infections in
humans, dogs and cats but it can cause vomiting as a side-effect.
Despite a reported clinical improvement chloramphenicol may not eliminate
Campylobacter infection and may induce a carrier state in treated animals.
Erythromycin was not effective in one outbreak in ferrets.
Prognosis
The prognosis is good for infected individuals even though they may remain
carriers
Long term problems
The carrier state presents problems for other animals that may come into
contact with an infected individual.
Updated January 2016
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