Acute colitis caused by Campylobacter fetus ss. jejuni

Campylobacter fetus ss. jejuni has been recently recognized as a common human enteric pathogen; however, the pathology and pathophysiology of the enteritis caused by this agent are still largely obscure. We report 4 patients who presented with acute abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea and who had C. fetus ss. jejuni isolated from fecal cultures. Each patient showed a fourfold rise in serum IgG titer to the organism isolated. In all 4 patients colonic involvement was noted on sigmoidoscopic examination. Biopsy specimens showed acute colitis with inflammatory infiltrates of the lamina propria and crypt abscesses. Clinical improvement was complete in all patients after therapy with erythromycin. These results suggest that clinicians should consider Campylobacter enteritis in the differential diagnois of acute colitis.

The experimental infection of pigs with Campylobacter sputorum subspecies mucosalis. Weaned pigs, with special reference to pharmacologically mediated hypomotility

The weaned pig proved resistant to infection with Campylobacter sputorum subsp mucosalis after oral dosing. Pretreatment with benzetimide to reduce gastrointestinal peristalsis allowed mucosalis infection to be established.

The experimental infection of neonatal pigs with Campylobacter sputorum subspecies mucosalis

Pigs dosed orally with Campylobacter sputorum subsp mucosalis in the neonatal period became infected and mucosalis was recovered from the intestinal mucosa for up to 40 days after infection. Rapid spread to undosed litter mates occurred. Gross adenomatous change did not develop.

[Infantile digestive campylobacteriosis. Two case studies (author's transl)]

The role played by Campylobacter jejuni in the origin of infantile bacterial gastroenteritis is important. Diarrhea, often bloody, is dysentery-like. Fever, abdominal pain and vomiting are rarely lacking. Dehydration is exceptional. Spontaneous recovery occurs in about ten days. Campylobacter jejuni is a Gram-negative, oxidase-positive, microaerophilic bacillus. The often typical results of direct morphological examination of the stools, special culture and isolation techniques, the erythromycine sensitivity of the germ, clearly define campylobacteriosis. Its epidemiology is still being investigated.

[The presence of Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni in normal slaughtered pigs (author's transl)]

As part of epidemiological studies the intestinal contents of 300 normal slaughtered pigs were examined for the presence of C. fetus jejuni. Samples were collected from six different slaughter houses. From 182 of these samples (60.7 per cent) C. fetus spp. jejuni was isolated using the method as described by Lauwers (8). Isolates were confirmed by the results of the following tests: oxidase, catalase, motility, growth at 25 degrees C, production of H2S, reduction of nitrate, growth in 3.5 per cent NaCl and utilisation of glucose and urea.

Acute colitis and bacteremia due to Campylobacter fetus

An acute febrile illness with dysentery and colitis developed in a 26-year-old man following a wilderness outing. Campylobacter fetus ssp. jejuni was subsequently grown on blood cultures drawn during the acute illness and 9 days later when the patient was asymptomatic. Proctosigmoidoscopic and histopathologic evidence of acute colitis was present on admission and resolved on follow-up examination. Campylobacter fetus spp. jejuni infection should be considered in the etiology of acute infectious colitis.

Bovine venereal campylobacteriosis (vibriosis) in north east Scotland

Since January 1978 four outbreaks of bovine venereal campylobacteriosis, associated with Campylobacter fetus subspp fetus, have been investigated. The herds demonstrated a variety of presenting signs, and the outbreaks were confirmed by vaginal mucus agglutination tests and isolation of C fetus subspp fetus. A greater recovery of C fetus was achieved by reducing the oxygen tension in the atmosphere used for incubation to a greater extent than usual. Bradford's brucella agar was found to be a suitable selective media for C fetus.

Pathology of proliferative haemorrhagic enteropathy in pigs

Examination of the small intestine of pigs with proliferative haemorrhagic enteropathy showed changes consistent with defects in vascular permeability. Early in the disease there were many eosinophils and distension of lacteals and intercellular spaces with proteinaceous material. Later the predominant features were red blood cells and exudate in tissue spaces. This was most severe and extensive at the tips of villi which were covered by a cast of cells and fibrinous exudate. Adenomatous intestinal mucosal cells contained organisms that were free within the apical cytoplasm and were morphologically identical with those seen in the related disease, porcine intestinal adenomatosis. Also these bacteria were seen free in the subepithelial mucosal area, in blood vessels and within membrane-bound vesicles in phagocytic cells in the mucosa and its blood vessels. Mast cells were prominent in some areas as were thrombosed vessels.