b'CampylobacterWhat is it?levels of Campylobacter in chicken. 48Campylobacter is a group of bacteria thatBy 2017, the number of laboratory reports are a major cause of diarrhoeal illness inof this infection had risen to 56,700, 49with humans and is generally regarded as thean estimated 3,500 hospital admissions the most common cause of bacterial foodfollowing year. 50poisoning. Two species account for the majority of infections: C. jejuni and C. coli.More than half of all cases are attributed Campylobacter is present in the intestinesto the consumption and handling of of farmed animals worldwide but, typically,chicken, while beef, offal, other meats and they show no signs of illness.unpasteurised milk are also foods most In 2020, an international team oflikely to harbour the bacterium 51 .researchers led by the Universities of BathBetween 2017 and 2018, Public Health and Sheffield, stated that intensive farmingEngland tested 392 retail chicken samples techniques could increase the likelihoodand found a worrying level of antimicrobial of Campylobacter pathogens becoming aresistance, including multi-drug resistance public health risk. 44 in 9 per cent of C. coli isolates and 2 per History cent of C. jejuni isolates 52 . Campylobacter was first observed in stoolResearch by Food Standards Agency samples taken from children with diarrhoeaeconomists in 2020 put the social and in 1886. By 1986, it was the most commonlyeconomic costs from Campylobacter at reported gastrointestinal pathogen in themore than 712 million per year 53 .UK 45 .Routes of transmissionA 2008 report found that the UK had theOn farms, Campylobacter is easily sixth highest prevalence of contaminatedtransmitted between birds via a shared chicken carcasses in the EU at 86.3 perwater source or through infected faeces. cent 46 . In that year, there were almost 50,000When an infected animal is slaughtered, laboratory reports of Campylobacter inthe organisms can be transferred from the England and Wales 47 . The Food Standardsintestines to the meat 54 . Agency worked to reduce this rate but inBetween August 2016 and July 2017, more 2013 admitted: Despite significant effortthan half of all shop-bought chicken in the and investment by both industry andUK was contaminated with the bug 55 . It is government, monitoring data shows thatnot surprising, then, that between 50 and no progress has yet been made in reducing 12'