A case of premature labour due to Campylobacter jejuni infection.

A case history is described in which premature labour was thought to have been caused by chorioamnionitis secondary to infection with Campylobacter jejuni. The pathogenicity of this organism in the perinatal period and in pregnancy is discussed. Campylobacter species are known to cause abortion and stillbirth in cattle and sheep. The present case report supports previous evidence that Campylobacter jejuni can cause infection in utero and perinatally in man, leading to abortion and preterm labour. Sporadic accounts of case histories similar to the present have appeared in the literature, but the incidence and epidemiology of this infection in obstetric patients is still unclear.