Sources[edit]
C. jejuni is commonly associated with poultry, and it naturally colonises the digestive tract of many bird species. One study found that 30% of European starlings in farm settings in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, were carriers of C. jejuni.[5] It is also common in cattle, and although it is normally a harmless commensal of the gastrointestinal tract in these animals, it can cause campylobacteriosis in calves. It has also been isolated from wombat and kangaroo feces, being a cause of bushwalkers' diarrhea. Contaminated drinking water and unpasteurized milk provide an efficient means for distribution. Contaminated food is a major source of isolated infections, with incorrectly prepared meat and poultry as the primary source of the bacteria.
On June 29, 2011, the Wyoming Department of Health was notified of two laboratory-confirmed cases of C. jejuni in two persons working at a local sheep ranch who had castrated and docked the tails of lambs. Fecal-oral contamination was later verified by the CDC, which confirmed the bacteria from the infected lambs at the ranch had PFGE patterns indistinguishable from those from the men.[6]
Genome[edit]