Ecolab Experts on Microbes - Campylobacter
In this video, Elaine Black PhD, Ecolab Principal Regulatory Specialist I, Global Innovation Registration COE, explains the importance of preventing of Campylobacter jejuni, or Campylobacteriosis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Campylobacter affects more than one million people each year in the United States and approximately 100 whom die from the illness. An estimated one in 1,000 cases of campylobacteriosis leads to Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a neurological ailment resulting in paralysis of extremities.
Typically, illness from Campylobacter occurs more frequently in the summer months than in the winter. Transmission of the organism to people usually occurs from consumption of raw or undercooked poultry (primarily), meat and unpasteurized milk. Cross-contamination between raw and cooked items also can be a contributing factor to illness.
Campylobacteriosis typically lasts about one week with the common symptoms of diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever appearing two to five days after exposure to the organism. In some cases, there may be bloody diarrhea with nausea and vomiting. In immunocompromised people, the organism may spread to the bloodstream and cause a serious infection.
Food-related illnesses like Campylobacter are a growing public health problem. From helping to prevent cross-contamination in food processing facilities to providing antimicrobial treatments for raw produce, Ecolab is a global leader in helping to keep food safe.
