Risk Factors for Sporadic<i>Campylobacter</i>Infection in the United States: A Case‐Control Study in FoodNet Sites

TLDR

Campylobacter is a leading cause of gastroenteritis in the United States. This study aimed to identify risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter infection through a population‑based case‑control design. Over 12 months, 1,316 culture‑confirmed cases from seven states were enrolled and matched to one control each, with demographic, clinical, and exposure data collected via a standardized questionnaire. Among non‑travelers, 24 % of illness was attributable to restaurant‑prepared chicken and 21 % to nonpoultry meat, while 13 % of cases had traveled abroad, underscoring the need to reduce poultry contamination and improve restaurant food‑handling practices.

Abstract

Campylobacter is a common cause of gastroenteritis in the United States. We conducted a population-based case-control study to determine risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter infection. During a 12-month study, we enrolled 1316 patients with culture-confirmed Campylobacter infections from 7 states, collecting demographic, clinical, and exposure data using a standardized questionnaire. We interviewed 1 matched control subject for each case patient. Thirteen percent of patients had traveled abroad. In multivariate analysis of persons who had not traveled, the largest population attributable fraction (PAF) of 24% was related to consumption of chicken prepared at a restaurant. The PAF for consumption of nonpoultry meat that was prepared at a restaurant was also large (21%); smaller proportions of illness were associated with other food and nonfood exposures. Efforts to reduce contamination of poultry with Campylobacter should benefit public health. Restaurants should improve food-handling practices, ensure adequate cooking of meat and poultry, and consider purchasing poultry that has been treated to reduce Campylobacter contamination.