Health chicken meat very often contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria

RKI warns against Campylobacter infections by chicken meat

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) warns of an increasing number of Campylobacter infections in Germany, with chicken being one of the major sources of infection. "With more than 70,000 reported illnesses in 2016 and similar high numbers in previous years, Campylobacter enteritis has become the most common bacterial notifiable disease in Germany," said the current release of the RKI.

If Campylobacter bacteria are detected in stool samples, this must be reported under the Infection Protection Act (IfSG). Of the 70,000 infections reported in Germany, children under the age of five and young adults between the ages of 20 and 29 were most frequently affected, reports the RKI. Most Campylobacter infections were about the consumption of animal food, especially poultry meat done. According to the RKI, this is particularly frequently contaminated with Campylobacter.

Symptoms of Campylobacter infection

Campylobacter infections can cause intestinal inflammation, which typically causes diarrhea, severe abdominal pain and fever. Also nausea and vomiting, blood in the stool and additional complaints such as headache and body aches, chills or fatigue, are called by the RKI as symptoms. According to the experts, the complaints last on average for six days.

For example, the RKI cites reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and neurological complications such as Guillain-Barré syndrome as possible sequelae.

Pathogen between human and animal transmissible

"Campylobacter enteritis is one of the so-called zoonoses, so the pathogens can be transmitted between animals and humans," the RKI continues. Poultry and cattle are the most important animal reservoirs for the pathogens.

According to the RKI, various so-called source attribution studies, which examined the relative importance of different animal sources for Campylobacter infections in humans, have shown that 50 to 90% of human infections can be traced back to the chicken source. "The most frequent cause of the infections are the bacterial species Campylobacter jejuni (90%) and Campylobacter coli (7%).

Chicken and food out of the house a risk

"In multivariable logistic regression analyzes, eating chicken and eating away from home was the most significant risk factor for Campylobacter infection," according to the RKI. The risk factors associated with kitchen hygiene include the preparation of packaged poultry meat in the household and the simultaneous preparation of raw meat and foods that are not heated before being consumed.

Contact with poultry was another risk factor, and last but not least, the intake of gastric acid inhibitors in the four weeks before the onset of the disease was "statistically significantly associated with Campylobacter infection," reports the RKI.