Skip to main content
Log in

Intestinal occurrence ofCampylobacter fetus subspeciesjejuni andClostridium difficile in children in Sweden

  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Stool samples were cultured from 356 children in different states of health and in different age groups between birth and six years of age in order to investigate the occurrence ofCampylobacter jejuni andClostridium difficile. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from two of 56 children with diarrhoea but was not isolated from any of 300 healthy children or children recently treated with antibiotics.Campylobacter jejuni does not seem to be a common cause of diarrhoea in children in Sweden and is definitely not a member of the normal fecal flora.Clostridium difficile was isolated from 17 of 100 healthy children one week to one year old, and from one of 100 perinatal children. About the same isolation frequency was found in children with diarrhoea and in children recently treated with antibiotics. A total of 34 isolates ofClostridium difficile were obtained, 29 of which were from children less than one year old. The isolation ofClostridium difficile in stools of children should in most cases be considered a normal finding.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Skirrow, M. B.:Campylobacter enteritis: a “new” disease. British Medical Journal 1977, ii: 9–11.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bartlett, J. G., Chang, T. W., Gutwith, M., Gorbach, S. L., Onderdonk, A. B.: Antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis due to toxin-producing clostridia. New England Journal of Medicine 1978, 298: 531–534.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Larson, H. E., Price, A. B., Honour, P., Borriello, S. P.:Clostridium difficile and the aetiology of pseudomembranous colitis. Lancet 1978, i: 1063–1066.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Rifkin, G. D., Fekety, F. R., Silva, J., Sack, R. B.: Antibiotic induced colitis implication of a toxin neutralized byClostridium sordellii antitoxin. Lancet 1977, ii: 1103–1106.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gästrin, B., Kallings, L. O., Marcetic, A.: The survival time for different bacteria in various transport media. Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica 1968, 74: 371–380.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. George, W. L., Sutter, V. L., Citron, D., Finegold, S. M.: Selective and differential medium for isolation ofClostridium difficile. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1979, 9: 214–219.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Holdeman, L. V., Cato, E. P., Moore, W. E. C.: Anaerobe laboratory manual. Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Alsaker, T., Digranes, A., Beranger, L., Maeland, J. A.:Campylobacter — en vanlig årsak til akutt enteritt. Tidskrift Norges Laegerforening 1980, 100: 615–617.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bokkenheuser, V. D., Richardson, N. J., Bryner, J. H., Roux, D. J., Schutte, A. B., Kroonhof, H. J., Freiman, I., Hartman, E.: Detection of enteric campylobacteriosis in children. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1979, 9: 227–232.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Butzler, J. P., Dekeyser, P., Detrain, M., Dehaen, F.: Related vibrio in stools. Journal of Pediatrics 1973, 82: 493–495.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Graf, J., Schär, G., Heinzer, I.:Campylobacterjejuni-Enteritis in der Schweiz. Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift 1980, 110: 590–595.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Svedhem, Å., Kaijser, B.:Campylobacter jejuni. A common cause of diarrhoea in Sweden, Journal of Infectious Diseases 1980, 142: 353–359.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. DeMol, P., Bosmans, E.:Campylobacter enteritis in Central Africa. Lancet 1978, i: 604.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Telfer Brunton, W. A., Heggie, D.:Campylobacter-associated diarrhoea in Edinburgh. British Medical Journal 1977, ii: 956.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Brouwer, R., Mertens, M. J. A., Siem, T. H., Katchaki, J.: An explosive outbreak ofCampylobacter enteritis in soldiers. Antonie van Leewenhoek 1979, 45: 517–519.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Svehem, A., Kaijser, B., Sjögren, E.: The occurrence ofCampylobacter jejuni in fresh food and survival under different conditions. Journal of Hygiene 1981, 87: 421–425.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Grant, I. H., Richardson, N. J., Bokkenheuser, V. D.: Broiler chicken as potential source ofCampylobacter infections in humans. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1980, 11: 508–511.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Svedhem, A., Kaijser, B.: Isolation ofCampylobacter jejuni from domestic animals and pets: probable origin of human infection. Journal of Infection 1981, 3: 37–40.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hall, I. C., O'Toole, E.: Intestinal flora in newborn infants. American Journal of Diseases in Children 1935, 49: 390–402.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Snyder, M. L.: The normal fecal flora of infants between two weeks and one year of age. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1940, 66: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Hafiz, S., McEntegart, M. G., Morton, R. S., Waitkins, S. A.:Clostridium difficile in the urogenital tract of males and females. Lancet 1975, i: 420–421.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Bartlett, J. G., Willey, S. H., Chang, T. W., Lowe, B.: Cephalosporin-associated pseudomembranous colitis due toClostridium difficile. Journal of the American Medical Association 1979, 242: 2683–2685.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Falsen, E., Kaijser, B., Nehls, L., Nygren, B., Svedhem, Å.:Clostridium difficile in relation to enteric bacterial pathogens. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1980, 12: 297–300.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Holst, E., Helin, I., Mårdh, P.-A.: Recovery ofClostridium difficle from children. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases 1981, 13: 41–45.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Smith, H. W., Crabb, W. E.: The fecal bacterial flora of animals and man: its development in the young. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology 1961, 82:53–66.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Editorial:Clostridium difficile a chronic bowel disease. Lancet 1980, i: 402–403.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Svedhem, A., Kaijser, B. & MacDowall, I. Intestinal occurrence ofCampylobacter fetus subspeciesjejuni andClostridium difficile in children in Sweden. Eur. J, Clin. Microbiol. 1, 29–32 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02014137

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02014137

Keywords

Navigation