Veterinary Laboratories Agency, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey, UK.
Int J Infect Dis. 2002 Dec;6 Suppl 3:3S16-20; discussion 3S20-1, 3S53-8. doi: 10.1016/s1201-9712(02)90179-7.
Campylobacter jejuni, and its close relative C. coli, are highly successful bacteria colonizing the intestinal mucosa of a wide range of avian and animal hosts, including humans. In general, this colonization is either as a commensal, as in birds, or is an asymptomatic transient infection, as in livestock and in humans in endemic regions. However, in susceptible human populations, infection causes acute bacterial enteritis. The ecology of the organism for each outcome of colonization is considered, and evidence suggests that disease symptoms reflect the unfortunate consequences of the expression of bacterial factors associated with adaptation to the host gut environment. Susceptibility to disease appears to be associated with lack of acquired immunity. Although campylobacters do not grow outside the host, they can remain viable for long periods in water, foods, etc. Under such conditions, the organisms adapt to numerous hostile environmental stresses. Although such stressed organisms may be viable, the infectivity of surviving bacteria becomes severely compromised over time. Thus, the comparison of Campylobacter ecology in different environments suggests that increasing trends in human campylobacteriosis represent an unfortunate consequence of: decreasing human immunity because of reduced exposure to stress-compromised organisms; intensive farming practices creating monocultures of some strains; and improved processing and retail practices increasing the viability of campylobacters in food reaching the consumer.
空肠弯曲菌及其近亲大肠弯曲菌是高度成功的细菌，定植于多种禽类和动物宿主的肠道黏膜，包括人类。一般来说，这种定植要么是共生的，就像在鸟类中那样，要么是无症状的短暂感染，就像在牲畜和地方性流行地区的人类中那样。然而，在易感染人群中，感染会导致急性细菌性肠炎。对于定植的每种结果，都考虑了该生物体的生态学，有证据表明，疾病症状反映了与适应宿主肠道环境相关的细菌因子表达的不幸后果。疾病易感性似乎与缺乏获得性免疫有关。尽管弯曲菌在宿主之外无法生长，但它们可以在水中、食物等中长时间保持存活。在这种情况下，这些生物体适应了许多恶劣的环境压力。尽管受压力的生物体可能仍然存活，但存活细菌的感染力会随着时间的推移严重受损。因此，对不同环境中弯曲菌生态学的比较表明，人类弯曲菌病发病率的上升是不幸的结果：由于接触受压力影响的生物体减少而导致人类免疫力下降；密集的耕作方式造成某些菌株的单一栽培；以及改进的加工和零售实践增加了到达消费者手中的食物中弯曲菌的存活能力。
