Campylobacter infection

Statutory notification

• Campylobacter infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• See notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB).
• Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 209 KB) or regional residents (PDF 208KB). 
• For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are the most common types.
• Transmission:  Faecal-oral, food-borne and water-borne.
• Incubation period: 1 to 10 days (usually 2 to 5 days).
• Infectious period: Most infectious while symptomatic and low risk post recovery. Person to person transmission uncommon. Use contact transmission- based precautions for hospitalised and institutionalised patients.
• Case exclusion: Until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 24 hours. If patient works in health-care, aged-care, child-care or is a food handler or attends child-care exclude until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 48 hours. See Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 387KB).
• Contact exclusion: Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 387KB).
• Treatment: Oral rehydration and as recommended by the doctor.
• Immunisation:  None available.
• Case followup: Generally only clusters or outbreaks investigated, by the Communicable Disease Control Directorate with assistance from public health units (Healthy WA).

Information and resources for health providers

• OD 0490/14 Public Health Follow-up of Sporadic Enteric Disease Notifications
• Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts 
• Communicable Disease Guidelines for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners
• Guidelines for the Management of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities (PDF 2.74MB) 

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports