Campylobacter jejuni as a cause of traveler's diarrhea: clinical features and antimicrobial susceptibility

Traveler's diarrhea is the most common health problem of international travelers. Although enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli seems to be the most frequent cause of traveler's diarrhea, many other microorganisms, such as Campylobacter jejuni, may cause this infectious disease. Campylobacter jejuni is recognized as a leading cause of enteritis in humans both in developing and in developed countries. However, a few reports on the incidence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. as a cause of traveler's diarrhea have been published. The limited data on the treatment of C. jejuni infections suggest that ciprofloxacin may shorten the duration of symptoms. However, treatment failure associated with the emergence of quinolone-resistant strains of C. jejuni has been documented. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of C. jejuni associated with traveler's diarrhea and to analyze the geographic distribution as well as the clinical features and susceptibility to antibiotics.