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If carcasses contaminated with C. jejuni could be rapidly identified,procedures could be implemented to greatly reduce the number of contaminated carcasses. Our goal is to identify C. jejuni binding products that can be utilized in the development of a rapid detection assay for C. jejuni on poultry and in other food products before marketing.
Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of diarrheal disease in humans. This pathogen has also been implicated as a frequent antecedent to the development of Guillain-Barre syndrome which is the most common cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis. Disease due to infection with C. jejuni is difficult to distinguish from illness caused by enteric pathogens such as Salmonella and Chigella. Symptomatic infection with Campylobacter is most commonly characterized by a rapid onset of fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Medical attention is sought most often for treatment of grossly bloody stools and severe abdominal cramps. Infection with C. jejuni occurs by ingestion with the most common sources being undercooked chicken, unpasteurized milk, and untreated or improperly disinfected water. It has been estimated that 50 to 90% of domestic chicken carcasses are contaminated by the time of sale and as few as 500 organisms may cause human illness. C. jejuni is found within the intestinal tract of chickens, but does not cause disease in the carrier.The ability of C. jejuni to bind to the cells lining the human gastrointestinal tract is hypothesized to be directly related to it's ability to cause disease.