Table 2.
Number of outbreaks and number of outbreak-related illnesses in outbreaks due to single (Campylobacter alone) and multiple (Campylobacter and one or more other pathogens) aetiologies reported in the USA from 1997 to 2008 by route of transmission and implicated vehicle
| Exposure | Single aetiology outbreaks n (%) | Multiple aetiology outbreaks* n (%) | Illnesses in single aetiology outbreaks n (%) | Illnesses in multiple aetiology outbreaks* n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foodborne | 211 (89·8) | 14 (51·9) | 5261 (92·1) | 402 (11·7) |
| Dairy | 63 (29·9) | 2 (14·3) | 2830 (53·8) | 14 (3·5) |
| Poultry | 22 (10·4) | 3 (21·4) | 163 (3·1) | 44 (10·9) |
| Produce | 12 (5·7) | 0 | 565 (10·7) | 0 |
| Seafood | 4 (1·9) | 0 | 276 (5·2) | 0 |
| Other meats† | 2 (0·9) | 3 (21·4) | 29 (0·6) | 99 (24·6) |
| Other foods‡ | 3 (1·4) | 0 | 126 (2·4) | 0 |
| Multiple food items/ complex foods | 35 (16·6) | 4 (28·6) | 564 (10·7) | 123 (30·6) |
| Unknown food | 76 (36·0) | 5 (35·7) | 708 (13·5) | 221 (55·0) |
| Waterborne | 13 (5·5) | 11 (40·7) | 276 (4·8) | 2959 (86·4) |
| Drinking water | 10 (76·9) | 10 (90·9) | 260 (94·2) | 2939 (99·3) |
| Recreational water | 3 (23·1) | 1 (9·1) | 16 (5·8) | 20 (0·7) |
| Animal contact | 5 (2·1) | 2 (7·4) | 74 (1·3) | 64 (1·9) |
| Unknown transmission | 6 (2·6) | 0 (0·0) | 99 (1·7) | 0 |
| Total | 235 | 27 | 5710 | 3425 |
*
Other aetiologies include Bacillus spp., calicivirus, unknown Campylobacter spp., Clostridium, Cryptosporidium, Helicobacter spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Entamoeba spp., Giardia, norovirus, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Yersinia spp.
†
‘Other meats’ includes beef, pork, and game meat.
‡
‘Other foods’ includes grains, legumes, oils, and sugars.