We continue to update our “About Sites,” that help explain the most common food borne illnesses and the syndromes caused by these infections – please see www.about-campylobacter.com.

Campylobacter is a genus of bacteria that is among the most common causes of bacterial diarrheal illness in humans worldwide. The name means “curved rod,” derived from the Greek campylos (curved) and baktron (rod). While there are dozens of species, three represent the main sources of human infection: Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter lari. C. jejuni is the most commonly implicated species.

Campylobacteriosis as a disease entity was first recognized by Theodor Escherich in 1886, who described the symptoms of intestinal Campylobacter infections in children as “cholera infantum” or “summer complaint.” However, the organisms were not easily cultured or characterized, which precluded their recognition as major causes of disease until the 1970s.

Campylobacter jejuni is a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that grows best in a high temperature (42°C, or 107°F) and low oxygen environment. These characteristics represent adaptations to growth in its normal habitat—the intestines of warm-blooded birds and mammals. Several closely-related bacterial species with similar characteristics, C. coli, C. fetus, and C. upsalienis, may also cause disease in humans but are responsible for less than 1% of human infections annually. The optimal conditions required for the growth of Campylobacter make it difficult to isolate in the laboratory from fecal specimens without special techniques, including the use of selective culture media.

Here are the other updated sites:

Campylobacter:  Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Campylobacter outbreaks. The Campylobacter lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Campylobacter and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $750 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Campylobacter lawyers have litigated Campylobacter cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of sources, such as raw milk and municipal water.

If you or a family member became ill with a Campylobacter infection, including Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or GBS, after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Campylobacter attorneys for a free case evaluation.