Is "Campylobacter upsaliensis" an unrecognised cause of human diarrhoea?

Lancet. 1990 Mar 10;335(8689):584-6. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)90359-d.

Abstract

For 3 years a filtration system for the isolation of "new" campylobacter was included in the culture protocol of 15,185 stool specimens. "C upsaliensis" was isolated in 99 patients, C jejuni subsp doylei in 4, and C hyointestinalis in 2. "C upsaliensis" was the only organism isolated in 83 patients. Clinical information was available for 77 out of these 83 patients. 92% of the patients had diarrhoea; vomiting and fever were rare (14% and 7%, respectively); the onset was mostly sudden; and the symptoms usually lasted for less than a week. Gross or occult blood was present in a quarter of cases and neutrophils were detected in faecal smears in about a fifth. "C upsaliensis" may be an unrecognised and frequent cause of diarrhoea in man, and selective isolation media should be combined with non-selective isolation systems.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Belgium / epidemiology
  • Campylobacter / classification
  • Campylobacter / isolation & purification
  • Campylobacter Infections / complications*
  • Campylobacter Infections / epidemiology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diarrhea / epidemiology
  • Diarrhea / etiology*
  • Diarrhea / microbiology
  • Emigration and Immigration
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Filtration / instrumentation
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Seasons