An official website of the United States government.
This research project aims to determine the relative contribution of different risk factors, both food and non-food related, to the burden of C. jejuni infection in humans.
<p>The study aims to fdetermine the relative proportional contribution of different risk factors, both food and non-food related, to the burden of human indigenous sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infection.
<p>The seasonal and geographic importance of these risk factor will also be investigated as well as any associations between risk factors and C. jejuni subtypes.
Campylobacter is the most frequently isolated bacterium associated with gastroenteritis in humans. It usually causes sporadic cases of infection, although in recent years an increasing number of outbreaks have been described.
<p>Epidemiological studies suggest that poultry meat is an important vehicle of infection and surveys have shown that a significant proportion of raw poultry meat for human consumption is contaminated with these bacteria.
<p>However, poultry meat only explains a proportion of campylobacter cases and the role of other animal products, other foods, water and non-foodborne exposures is still unclear.
<p>The Agency commissioned this research to further our understanding of the epidemiology of campylobacter.
<p>Find more about this project and other FSA food safety-related projects at the <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research/" target="_blank">Food Standards Agency Research webpage</a>.