title: Campylobacter 0:41 isolation in Guillain-Barré syndrome.
abstract: Over a period of 15 months, 17 children were admitted to the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital (RCWMCH) in Cape Town with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Stool specimens were collected from 14 children and campylobacter was isolated from nine. Six of the nine isolates of Campylobacter jejuni were further identified as C jejuni biotype 2, serotype 0:41. This biotype 2, serotype 0:41 has been identified in only 12 of the 7119 campylobacter isolates at the RCWMCH over a 19 year period. Eight of the nine patients with campylobacter isolates and one of five with negative stool cultures required ventilation. Patients with C jejuni biotype 2, serotype 0:41 were ventilated for a mean (SD) of 33.5 (19.4) days, whereas patients with other campylobacter isolates were ventilated for 17.3 (3.8) days. This is the first report of campylobacters of serotype 0:41 in Guillain-Barré syndrome and could reflect a geographical isolation of this strain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Goddard
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lastovica
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Argent
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012121:Respiration, Artificial