Do you know the symptoms and causes of Campylobacter enteritis (a type of food poisoning)?

 

When symptoms such as fever, headache, stomachache, nausea, and diarrhea appear after eating food that is not fully cooked to the center, it can be food poisoning called campylobacter enteritis. Campylobacter enteritis is caused by ingestion of food or beverages contaminated with campylobacter, a type of bacteria.Among them, infections through raw or insufficient heat have been reported especially. This time, we will explain what kind of disease Campylobacter enteritis is, including the cause and treatment of infection.

What is Campylobacter enteritis?

What kind of disease is campylobacter enteritis?

Campylobacter enteritis is a type of food poisoning.Campylobacter is caused by eating food or drinks contaminated with bacteria or by contact with animals with campylobacter. In particular, many infections through chicken have been reported, and most of them are caused by eating raw or insufficiently heated chicken.

What kind of bacteria is Campylobacter?

It is a bacterium that lives in the intestines of animals such as livestock, wild animals, and pets. It dies in a short time in these environments because it is vulnerable to high fever or drying. However, it is relatively strong at low temperatures, so you cannot be relieved that it is a food stored in the refrigerator.

In general, food poisoning caused by bacteria requires 100,000 to 1 million bacteria to be infected. However, Camplo Victor is characterized by infection just by eating about 100 relatively small amounts of bacteria.

Symptoms of campylobacter enteritis

Typical symptoms of campylobacter enteritis are as follows.

• Fever
• a headache
• a chill
• a sense of boredom
• Diarrhea
• a stomachache
• Nause
• Vomiting

The symptoms of campylobacter enteritis are very similar to other food poisoning. However, the incubation period is common for 1 to 7 days, and it is somewhat longer than other food poisoning. It is known that there are few cases or deaths in which most people heal and become in critical condition in about a week.

Are you saying that you don't need to worry too much?

Infants, the elderly, and others with weak resistance are at risk of becoming severe. In addition, caution is needed as cases of reactive arthritis or Guillain Valley syndrome, a serious paralytic disease, have been reported within weeks after being infected with Campylobacter.

Gillan Valley syndrome

Guillain Valley Syndrome is a disease that attacks one's own nerves as a result of active immune function due to infectious diseases caused by viruses or bacteria. Guillain Valley syndrome may develop one to three weeks after symptoms such as diarrhea due to campylobacter enteritis begin to appear. In Korea, about 30-40% of Guillain Valley syndrome is believed to be caused by Campylobacter infection.

What are the symptoms of Guillain Valley syndrome?

Symptoms typically start with difficulty in putting strength into the hands and feet and worsen over a few days, and show the following symptoms.

• abnormalities in the senses
• Pain
• paralysis of facial muscles
• paralysis of the muscles that move the eyes
• Muscle paralysis associated with swallowing

In addition, in severe cases, symptoms such as paralysis of breathing-related muscles or impairment of autonomic nerves may occur.

Causes of Campylobacter enteritis

The main source of infection is chicken. There are many cases of infection in barbecues, pots, and chicken skewers that are insufficient to chop or heat raw chicken. In addition, food contaminated with raw chicken due to insufficient cooking process, not chicken itself, may be the source of infection.

Besides food, it is also known that drinking water such as well water contaminated with the feces of animals with campylobacter, mineral water, and simple tap water becomes the source of infection. In addition, there are cases where children with weak resistance are directly infected by pets.

Campylobacter enteritis frequency

Campylobacter enteritis is the highest number of bacterial food poisoning outbreaks in Korea. Recently, it has been trending to about 300 cases and about 2,000 patients per year.

When is the season you need to be careful?

The season when food poisoning increases throughout the year is summer. However, Campylobacter enteritis is characterized by a lot in May, June, and October, not midsummer.

Campylobacter enteritis course

Depending on the degree of symptoms, it is divided into cases where it is good to see a gastroenterologist and cases where it is good to see an emergency outpatient. If the symptoms are light and the symptoms rarely improve even when looking at the condition at home, or if the symptoms get worse, let's review for quick treatment.

an examination in gastroenterology

When the symptoms below appear, do not look at the condition at home and seek medical treatment at a medical institution such as gastroenterology.

• Blood is mixed in excrement such as bloody stool
• I have a stomachache and diarrhea for a long time

a medical examination at an emergency outpatient examination

The following symptoms may require urgent action. Please see an emergency outpatient clinic, not a general medical institution.

• be unable to replenish one's moisture
• I have about 10 to 20 severe diarrhea or vomiting a day
• have a bad stomachache
• be unstable in breathing
• be in a daze
• be limp
• have a high fever

Campylobacter enteritis test

The cause of food poisoning is identified by conducting a questionnaire, blood test, burn culture test, urine test, and burn test. In addition, burn tests such as abdominal CT or endoscopy may be performed. In the food poisoning examination, it is difficult to determine the cause of the food poisoning by symptoms alone, so it is important to understand the contents of the meal from the previous day to about a week ago. If you remember and take notes before the examination, it will lead to a smooth diagnosis.

a cure for campylobacter enteritis

In general, it is often cured naturally, so symptomatic therapy such as hydration or dietary therapy is the basis. If symptoms are strong and there is a concern about severe symptoms, drug treatment with antibiotics is reviewed.

symptomatic therapy

In the treatment of campylobacter enteritis, you need to be most careful about dehydration symptoms due to diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.Hydration is frequently supplemented with sports drinks or oral supplements, and IV treatment is provided depending on the degree of dehydration or not enough intake from the mouth. Until the symptoms stabilize, it would be good to refrain from eating as much as possible and focus on digestible foods.

drug treatment

You can use digestive medicine or intestinal medicine to restore digestive function and intestinal environment. If symptoms are strong and there is a concern about severe symptoms, antibiotic treatment is reviewed. It is common not to use laxatives because they may worsen the progress. Let's avoid using over-the-counter laxatives on our own judgment.

Are there any precautions during campylobacter enteritis medication?

Some antibiotics cause side effects or weaken effects by combination with other drugs, supplements, and foods. Also, some digestive and intestinal medications overlap with commercial placebo or intestinal medications.

If you have a medication or supplement you are using, check with your doctor about the combination of the medication you are using in treatment. Also, when purchasing drugs on the market, let's consult a pharmacist or registered seller at a pharmacy and choose a product that doesn't have a problem even if you use it together.

arrangement

Campylobacter enteritis is a type of food poisoning, and various symptoms such as fever, headache, stomachache, nausea, and diarrhea appear. Campylobacter is caused by eating food or drinks contaminated with bacteria. In particular, many chicken infections with insufficient raw food or heating have been reported, so it is important to pay attention to hand washing, storage, and cooking methods, and to prepare preventive measures. It is known that cases of critical illness or death are rare, but the association with paralysis is also pointed out. If symptoms rarely improve or symptoms worsen, consider a quick examination.