Gastroenteritis caused by Campylobacter jejuni in childhood

Fifteen patients with stool growth of "Campylobacter jejuni" are presented. In one case it was associated with growth of "Salmonella typhimurium". Fourteen cases presented as an acute gastroenteritis whereas the remainder case was considered to be an asymptomatic carrier. The incidence was 5.8%. The disease was more frequent in infancy (13 cases occurred in ages below one year). Diarrhea was the most frequent symptom (93.3%), with presence of macroscopic blood in the stool in 78.5% of these cases. In three cases the process was associated to cow's milk protein-sensitive enteropathy. Four patients were treated with erythromycin and the stool culture become negative at the end of therapy. In the untreated cases the stool culture become negative within a period from five to 15 days. In the asymptomatic carrier the stool culture become negative after a period of two months.