Campylobacter

[FrogDoc]

Hi all!

This summer I was (really really) sick for about 8 weeks with a pretty severe intestinal illness. It came for a day or so at a time, then went for a few days, then came back... and after about four major tests (gall bladder, stomach scope, etc) that turned out to be negative I'm feeling better. Last week, my DH came down with something similar, but it lasted longer. He ended up in the ER, at which time they did a stool culture, CAT scanned his kidneys and sent him home.

Lo and behold the health dept called two days later and said he tested positive for campylobacter. Turns out, they think that's probably what I had too. We never go out to eat, and I'm really careful handling my food... but we have the chickens. We're fairly certain that's where we got it from.

We (thought) we are careful with respect to hand washing after handling the birds, cleaning the coop, collecting the eggs but apparently missed something. We're going to increase the sanitation standards we have, but I was wondering if this is a common problem? I was under the impression this bacteria is part of their normal gut flora and there's no way to medicate this problem away... but do any of you have any thoughts? We've got two little kids and I would hate for them to get what we had. I wanted to die, it was so bad.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[LarryPQ]

Unless you have had a necropsy done on a bird, or had their poo tested and it came back positive with that bacteria, I would not worry about it.

It is MUCH MUCH more likely you got it from store-bought meat. So much more likely, I would say you are worrying over nothing.

How do people get infected with this germ?
Campylobacteriosis usually occurs in single, sporadic cases, but it can also occur in outbreaks, when a number of people become ill at one time. Most cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry meat or from cross-contamination of other foods by these items. Infants may get the infection by contact with poultry packages in shopping carts. Outbreaks of Campylobacter are usually associated with unpasteurized milk or contaminated water. Animals can also be infected, and some people have acquired their infection from contact with the stool of an ill dog or cat. The organism is not usually spread from one person to another, but this can happen if the infected person is producing a large volume of diarrhea.

A very small number of Campylobacter organisms (fewer than 500) can cause illness in humans. Even one drop of juice from raw chicken meat can infect a person. One way to become infected is to cut poultry meat on a cutting board, and then use the unwashed cutting board or utensil to prepare vegetables or other raw or lightly cooked foods. The Campylobacter organisms from the raw meat can thus spread to the other foods.

 

[FrogDoc]

Thanks for your response LareePQG... I just found it hard to believe that we got this from store-bought meat since I'm SO careful. The chickens seemed a much likely scenario.

 

[LarryPQ]

I wouldnt worry about the meat, but all the surfaces the meat touch...ie--the shopping carts, the checkout lanes, the shevling, the doors.

Horrifying, yes?

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
x2 Here's a link:
http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs255/en

 

[klmclain1]

Y'all just convinced me to be much more thorough with the antibacterial wipes they offer at the front of stores!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
If it were me, I'd go get a test done on the chicken poo- maybe call a vet or something and ask. I sure wouldn't want to doubt my chickens the whole time because I would talk myself out of keeping them eventually with that going round and round in my head.

Just the way I'd approach it. If the test came back negative (which like everyone says would probably be the case) then I could relax.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
I use the antibacterial wipes that they offer at the front of the stores to wipe down the shopping baskets and everything else. I go a little over board. Most people say that I am paranoid about germs and bacteria and that I need "some bacteria" in my body to remain healthy and that is true but I'll chose what bacteria and germs that I want and I don't want that stuff that is out there.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

I don't think I would even bother testing for it, well over half of store bought whole chickens test positive.


http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...chicken-safety/overview/chicken-safety-ov.htm

Good cooking and kitchen practices IMHO are where it is at given contacting the bacteria in raw chicken is nearly certain.


Also very easy to get it from water, esp if you travel, camp or have a shallow well.