Risk factors associated with Campylobacter jejuni infections in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles.
A steady increase in the incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) with a seasonal preponderance, almost exclusively related to Campylobacter jejuni, and a rise in the incidence of laboratory-confirmed Campylobacter enteritis have been reported from Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. We therefore investigated possible risk factors associated with diarrhea due to epidemic C. jejuni. Typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified four epidemic clones which accounted for almost 60% of the infections. One hundred six cases were included in a case-control study. Infections with epidemic clones were more frequently observed in specific districts in Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao. One of these clones caused infections during the rainy season only and was associated with the presence of a deep well around the house. Two out of three GBS-related C. jejuni isolates belonged to an epidemic clone. The observations presented point toward water as a possible source of Campylobacter infections.
Endtz
Hubert P
HP
Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands. H.P.PENDTZ@ERASMUSMC.NL
van West
Hanneke
H
Godschalk
Peggy C R
PC
de Haan
Lidewij
L
Halabi
Yaskara
Y
van den Braak
Nicole
N
Kesztyüs
Barbara I
BI
Leyde
Ewald
E
Ott
Alewijn
A
Verkooyen
Roel
R
Price
Lawrence J
LJ
Woodward
David L
DL
Rodgers
Frank G
FG
Ang
C Wim
CW
van Koningsveld
Rinske
R
van Belkum
Alex
A
Gerstenbluth
Izzy
I
D000328:Adult; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D009427:Netherlands Antilles / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012703:Serotyping / Q000379:methods