Campylobacter jejuni infections on college campuses: a national survey.

Surveyed colleges and universities found frequency of isolations of Campylobacter jejuni and other enteric bacterial pathogens was not explained by differences in gender composition, the proportion of students living off-campus, or geographic characteristics of the campus.

Abstract

We surveyed 303 colleges and universities to determine the frequency of isolations of Campylobacter jejuni and other enteric bacterial pathogens. Campylobacter cultures could be obtained at 74 per cent; 10 per cent of stool cultures yielded Campylobacter, which was isolated 10 and 46 times more frequently than Salmonella and Shigella, respectively. The incidence of diagnosed Campylobacter infections was 1.3 per 10,000 enrolled students per month. Intercollegiate variation was not explained by differences in gender composition, the proportion of students living off-campus, or geographic characteristics of the campus.