Diagnosis of Campylobacter Infection in Children

Clinical Presentation

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommend suspecting Campylobacter infection in children presenting with bloody diarrhea accompanied by fever, severe abdominal pain, or abdominal cramping, particularly when symptoms evolve over 2-4 days with blood appearing after initial watery diarrhea 1, 2
Children with Campylobacter infection often present with fever (present in 47-91% of cases) combined with diarrhea that becomes bloody 2-4 days after symptom onset, and severe abdominal pain or cramping (present in >90% of older children) 3
The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends testing for Campylobacter when children present with diarrhea with fever, bloody or mucoid stools with abdominal tenderness, or signs of sepsis (particularly in infants <3 months) 1, 2, 4
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that symptoms suggesting bacillary dysentery (frequent scant bloody stools with tenesmus) also warrant testing for Campylobacter 5

The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends stool testing for Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, C. difficile, and STEC in children with clinical features of Campylobacter infection 1, 2, 4
Multiplex molecular panels can detect Campylobacter along with other pathogens simultaneously, as recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America 5