Long-term infections with Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni.
Seventy-three apparently healthy, rural South African schoolchildren 6 to 8 or 13 to 16 years of age were examined five times over a 16-month period for fecal pathogens. Nine were positive for Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni. The organism was isolated intermittently from six children for at least 9 months and from three children for more than 1 year. Five of the long-term infections occurred among the 46 children aged 6 to 8 years (10.9%) versus one long-term infection among the 27 children aged 13 to 16 years (3.7%). It is not possible with present microbiological techniques to make a clear-cut distinction between reinfected subjects and chronic carriers.
D000293:Adolescent; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002168:Campylobacter fetus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons; D013019:South Africa