ABSTRACT
Campylobacter is recognized as one of the most common causes of bacterial diarrhea. The organism has an international reputation and has been found in virtually every country. The symptoms and signs of a Campylobacter jejuni infection are not so distinctive that the physician can differentiate it from illnesses caused by other pathogens. The term "enteritis", frequently used to describe the clinical illness caused by Campylobacter infection, presupposes that the site of infection can be found in the small intestine. Vomiting may occur, but it is rarely a marked feature. The acute diarrhea lasts for about 2 or 3 days, by which time the patient feels weak and exhausted. Profuse watery diarrhea is most frequently described in developing countries, whereas in the industrialized parts of the world this feature seems to be exceptional. Antibiotics should be reserved for very severe cases. It is certain that education and better hygiene have far greater roles to play in reducing infections than have antibiotics.
