Microbial food borne pathogens. Campylobacter jejuni.

Campylobacter jejuni is the most common food borne bacterial pathogen and leading cause of food borne disease in humans in the United States and other industrialized nations. Approximately four million cases of human campylobacteriosis occur each year in the United States. Although the majority of cases consist of limited diarrheal illness, severe sequelae can affect a small portion of patients with campylobacteriosis that may include reactive arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Animal reservoirs primarily include poultry (C. jejuni) and swine (C. coli). Pathogen reduction during poultry processing and safe handling of raw poultry in the kitchen are needed to prevent illness.