Campylobacter jejuni bacteraemia in children with diarrhoea in Bangladesh: report of six cases

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from blood cultures bom 6 of 6»27S diarrhoea! children seeking treatment at the Clinical Research Centre of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRJB) between April 1989 and December 1990. The cfinical records of these 6 children were reviewed. AU children were male; 5 were less than 1-year old and were severely malnourished. Five patients presented with watery diarrhoea and one with bloody diarrhoea. Two children died in the hospital AH strains of Campylobacter isolated from the 6 chfldren were negative for cell invasive properties as tested by the Sereny test Of the two strains tested for serum bactericidal activity, one strain was serum sensitive (growth inhibition), and the other resistant. The ability of C jejuni to cause bacteraemia suggests that the organisms may be responsible for diarrhoeal diseases especially in young and malnourished children. An early attempt to detect Campylobacter and start effective antimicrobial therapy is indicated.