management of campylobacter

Campylobacteriosis Management

Antibiotic treatment is generally not required for individuals with mild symptoms of Campylobacter infection, as the illness is typically self-limiting ¹. However, if symptoms are severe, characterized by high fever, bloody diarrhoea, or high-output diarrhoea, or if the individual is immunocompromised, early antibiotic treatment should be considered ¹. In such cases, clarithromycin 250–500 mg twice daily for 5–7 days, administered within 3 days of illness onset, may be prescribed ¹. For children with severe symptoms, worsening symptoms, or immunocompromise, specialist advice should be sought regarding the necessity of antibiotic treatment ¹.

General Advice for Gastroenteritis

Individuals with gastroenteritis should be advised not to swim for 2 weeks after their last episode of diarrhoea ¹. If stool microbiological investigations are performed, it is important to collect, store, and transport specimens as advised by the laboratory and provide relevant clinical information ². If a specific microbiological cause is confirmed after stool culture and sensitivity testing in an adult, advice should be sought from the local health protection team regarding antibiotic treatment or stool testing for microbiological clearance if there is any uncertainty ¹. In cases of suspected septicaemia, or if there is blood and/or mucus in the stool, or if the child is immunocompromised, stool microbiological investigations should be performed ². If antibiotic therapy is administered, a blood culture should also be performed ².