title: Age-specific risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter infection in regional Australia.
abstract: In a case-control study in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia, 354 cases and 593 controls were recruited to investigate meat, other food, and environmental exposures as potential risk factors for domestically acquired Campylobacter illness. In a multivariable model, illness was significantly associated with household exposure to diarrheal illness, consumption of restaurant chicken or beef, eating two or more "fast" food meals in a week, and overseas travel. Comparing exposures for the 0- to 4-year and 5-year and older age groups allowed detection of additional risk factors. Eating restaurant-prepared red meat and swimming were significantly associated with Campylobacter illness in the older group only. These findings demonstrate age-specific differences in risk factors for campylobacteriosis.
authors.affiliation: OzFoodNet, Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia. leanne.unicomb@anu.edu.au
authors.forename: Leanne E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Unicomb
authors.forename: Craig B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: Gwendolyn L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Niels G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Mahomed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D012147:Restaurants; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014195:Travel