ABSTRACT
Advances in DNA technology clarified the systematics of campylobacters and resulted in the extensive restructuring of the genus and assignment of campylobacters to the phylogenetic group rRNA superfamily VI. Campylobacter mucosalis and C. sputorum are closely related based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies, and they share a common source. Most Campylobacter infections are acquired domestically, but Campylobacter is also a major cause of traveler's diarrhea. Presumptive diagnosis of a Campylobacter infection can be made directly by microscopic detection of the organism in a fresh stool specimen from patients with acute enteritis. A number of enrichment broths have been formulated to enhance the recovery of Campylobacter from stool samples. The increasing incidence of fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter has rendered macrolides such as erythromycin and azithromycin the drugs of choice for human campylobacteriosis. The ability to discriminate or subtype campylobacters below the level of species has been successfully applied to aid the epidemiological investigation of outbreaks of campylobacteriosis.
