Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter)

Campylobacteriosis is an infection caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. These

bacteria live in the intestines of healthy birds, and most raw poultry meat commonly
has Campylobacter on it. Campylobacter is one of the most common bacterial causes of
diarrheal illness in the United States and is the most commonly reported bacterial enteric
pathogen in Minnesota.

Causes and Symptoms of Campylobacteriosis

Campylobacteriosis is an infection caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. These

bacteria live in the intestines of healthy birds, and raw poultry meat commonly
has Campylobacter on it.

Campylobacter is one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrheal illness in the United
States and is the most commonly reported bacterial enteric pathogen in Minnesota.
Approximately 800 to 1200 cases of Campylobacter are reported in Minnesota each year.
Virtually all cases occur as isolated, sporadic events, not as part of large outbreaks.

Symptoms
Symptoms include:

 diarrhea
 abdominal pain and cramps
 fever
 Vomiting.

Symptoms usually begin within 2 to 5 days after exposure to the organism.

Duration of Illness
 Symptoms typically last 1 week.
 Appropriate antibiotic treatment may shorten the duration of illness.

Transmission
Infections are often associated with international travel, undercooked poultry, unpasteurized
milk, untreated water, and contact with farm animals.

Eating undercooked chicken or other food that has been contaminated with juices dripping from
raw chicken is the most frequent source of this infection.
 Campylobacter may also be found in the feces of some pets, especially those with diarrhea, and
people can become infected if they do not wash their hands after contact with these pets.

Preventing Campylobacteriosis

You can prevent campylobacteriosis by:

 washing hands carefully

 keeping your food preparation areas clean
 avoiding unpasteurized milk
 cooking your food at the appropriate temperatures
 being careful when dealing with animals
 using caution when swimming

Minimizing Your Risk

Wash your hands

 Wash hands after handling uncooked poultry.

 Wash hands after using the bathroom and changing diapers, and before handling or eating any
food.

 Make sure that persons with diarrhea, especially children, wash their hands carefully and
frequently with soap to reduce the risk of spreading the infection.

 Always wash hands after contact with farm animals, pets, animal feces, and animal
environments.

 Hand Hygiene
Wash Your Hands!

Keep your food preparation areas clean

 Keep raw meat and poultry separate from produce and other foods when shopping for and
storing groceries.

 Wash hands, cutting boards, countertops, cutlery, and utensils after handling uncooked poultry.

 Cross-Contamination
Food and kitchen tools and surfaces may become contaminated from raw food products.
 Avoid unpasteurized foods

 Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from unpasteurized milk

Cook your food at the appropriate temperatures

 Thoroughly cook poultry to destroy the bacteria. Poultry should be cooked until it is no longer
pink in the middle.

 Storage and Cooking Temperatures

Learn more about storage and cooking temperatures
 Always wash hands after contact with farm animals, pets, animal feces, and animal
environments.

 CDC: Healthy Pets Healthy People

Protect yourself against getting Campylobacter from animals.

Use caution when swimming

 Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming.

 Anyone with a diarrheal illness should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths
with others, and preparing food for others.

 CDC: Healthy Swimming

Contains information on recreational waterborne illnesses.

Health Care Provider Information on Campylobacteriosis

Clinical Features
 CDC: Campylobacter Infections
Includes information about clinical features, transmission, trends, and more.

 Many different kinds of infections can cause diarrhea and bloody diarrhea. Doctors can look for
bacterial causes of diarrhea by asking a laboratory to culture a sample of stool from an ill person.
Diagnosis of Campylobacter requires special laboratory culture procedures, which doctors may
need to specifically request.


Laboratory Diagnosis
 Infection with Campylobacter is diagnosed by detecting the bacterium in the stool.
 Treatment
 Virtually all persons infected with Campylobacter will recover without any specific treatment.
Patients should drink plenty of fluids as long as the diarrhea lasts. In more severe cases,
antibiotics such as erythromycin or a fluoroquinolone can be used, and can shorten the duration
of symptoms if they are given early in the illness.

Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii)

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite is

found everywhere in our environment and many people carry it in their bodies but may not know
because they have no symptoms

Pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have serious
illness due to toxoplasmosis. Pregnant women can pass the infection to their unborn baby if they
become infected for the first time during or just before pregnancy.

Symptoms
Symptoms include:

 fever
 swollen glands
 muscle aches and pain
 tiredness

Many people will have no recognizable symptoms.

Symptoms usually begin within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.

Duration of Illness
 Toxoplasmosis infections usually resolve in 2-4 weeks.

Complications
Pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have serious
illness due to toxoplasmosis.

Pregnant women can pass the infection to their unborn baby if they become infected for the first
time during or just before pregnancy.
 Transmission
Cats are important in the spread of toxoplasmosis because they can shed the parasite in their
feces. People can get toxoplasmosis by accidentally ingesting contaminated cat feces, this can
occur if you accidentally touch your hands to your mouth after gardening or cleaning a cat’s litter
box.

People can also get toxoplasmosis by eating or handling raw or undercooked pork, lamb or
venison, eating unwashed fruits and vegetables grown in soil contaminated with cat feces,
drinking contaminated water, or rarely from a blood transfusion or infected organ transplant.

Diagnosis
Your health care provider may do a blood test to check for antibodies to toxoplasma if you are
pregnant or have a weakened immune system.

Preventing Toxoplasmosis

Minimizing Your Risk

Wash your hands

 Wash hands after using the bathroom and changing diapers, and before handling or eating any
food.

 Always wash hands after contact with farm animals, pets, animal feces, and animal
environments.

 Hand Hygiene
Wash Your Hands!

Keep your food preparation areas clean

 Keep raw meat separate from produce and other foods when shopping for and storing groceries.

 Wash hands, cutting boards, countertops, cutlery, and utensils after handling uncooked meat.

 Wash raw fruits and vegetables before eating.

 Cross-Contamination
Food and kitchen tools and surfaces may become contaminated from raw food products.
 Cook and store your food at the appropriate temperatures
 Freeze meat for several days before cooking to inactivate the parasite and reduce the likelihood
of infection.

 Thoroughly cook raw meat and poultry. Cook all meat to an internal temperature of 160° F and
until it is no longer pink in the center or until the juices become clear.
 Do not taste meat before it is fully cooked.

 Storage and Cooking Temperatures

Learn more about storage and cooking temperatures

 Defrost food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Food should be stored in a
refrigerator that is 40°F or cooler or a freezer that is 0°F or cooler.

Be careful when dealing with animals

 Always wash hands after contact with farm animals, pets, animal feces, and animal
environments.

Use caution when gardening

 Wear gloves when you garden or do anything outdoors that involves handling soil.

 Wash your hands well with soap and water after outdoor activities, especially before you eat or
prepare any food.

Additional Information If You are Pregnant or Have a Weakened

Immune System
 Avoid changing the cat litter box yourself; let someone else do it.

 If you have to change it, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands with soap and water
afterwards.

 Change the litter box daily because the parasite is not infectious until 1-5 days after it is shed in
the feces.

 Help prevent your cat from becoming infected by keeping it indoors and feeding it only canned
or dry cat food.

 Do not feed your cat raw meat.

Avoid stray cats and kittens and cover your outdoor sandboxes.

 Do not get a new cat while you are pregnant.

 Who is required to report?
 Health care practitioners (health care facilities, medical laboratories, and in certain
circumstances veterinarians and veterinary medical laboratories) are required to report
disease to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) under Minnesota state law.
 Unless previously reported, every licensed health care provider who provides care to
any patient who has, is suspected of having, or has died from a reportable disease is
required to report.
 Any person in charge of any institution, school, child care facility, or camp is also
required to report disease to MDH.