CLINICAL AND SEROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS IN PATIENTS DURING A WATERBORNE EPIDEMIC DUE TO CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI

A clinical and serological investigation of an epidemic due to Campylobacter jejuni in a community with a population of 1026 is presented. Altogether, 22 faecal samples from 27 patients were positive, with serotypes O 2 (n = 21) and 0 6, 7 (n = 1) being identified. Serotype 019, 21 was isolated from drinking water which had been consumed by 89·5 % households answering a questionnaire, thereby indicating an attack rate of 66·5 % (i.e. 680 persons). Mean duration of illness was 6·5±4·6 days. Diarrhoea (82·3 %), abdominal pains (62·8%) and fever (41·8%)were the most common symptoms. Acute stage samples of serum from Campylobacter-positive patients had lower concentrations of IgG antibodies against the most common serotype (O 2) than against serotype 0 6, 7 (P = 0·05), which had previously been implicated in epidemics in the region. More than 80 % samples drawn after 1-2 weeks of illness were positive for either IgA, IgM or IgG antibodies to serotype O 2 with a dominance of IgA. In the convalescent group (n = 24), serum from only one patient who developed a long-lasting reactive arthritis had antibodies to all serotypes. © 1990 The British Society for the Study of Infection.