Campylobacter medical comic

This comic follows the Campylobacter 'scout troop' from undercooked chicken to the gut and beyond. It compares C. jejuni with C. fetus, explains the bloody diarrhoea and the complications examiners love — Guillain–Barré syndrome and reactive arthritis — and shows how the lab finds a curved, darting bacterium that likes it hot.

For MBBS, NEET-PG, FMGE, NEXT and USMLE revision.

Campylobacter: what the comic covers

High-yield points

Campylobacter are Gram-negative, curved, comma or 'gull-wing' shaped rods; C. jejuni causes most human disease.
Spread is zoonotic, mostly from raw or undercooked poultry, unpasteurised milk or contaminated water.
The infectious dose is low (under about 500 organisms), and darting motility helps the bacteria cross the gut mucus.
After 2–4 days, patients develop fever, abdominal pain and often bloody diarrhoea.
C. fetus has a protein S-layer capsule that resists killing, so it causes systemic infection such as sepsis and meningitis.
Guillain–Barré syndrome (ascending paralysis) is the classic complication; reactive arthritis (HLA-B27) and irritable bowel syndrome can also follow.
Transport stool in Cary–Blair medium; culture on selective media such as Skirrow's at 42°C in about 5% oxygen (microaerophilic).
Most cases need only fluids and electrolytes; severe cases get a macrolide such as azithromycin.

Mnemonics from the comic

Source: Don't be a chicken — cook your poultry to avoid the Campylobacter scout troop.
Two species: Junior likes the heat (jejuni, thermophilic); the Elder leaves camp to explore the blood (fetus, systemic).
Guillain–Barré: Campy cuts the cables from the ground up — ascending paralysis.
Culture: Campy skates on Skirrow's with only 5% oxygen in its tank.

Quick questions

Why is Campylobacter cultured at 42°C?

C. jejuni is thermophilic and grows best at 42°C, which also suppresses much of the normal gut flora. It also needs microaerophilic conditions, about 5% oxygen, on selective media such as Skirrow's.

Which complication of Campylobacter infection is most tested?

Guillain–Barré syndrome, an ascending flaccid paralysis caused by antibodies that cross-react with nerve gangliosides. Reactive arthritis is another post-infectious complication.

Which antibiotic is used for severe Campylobacter diarrhoea?

A macrolide such as azithromycin or erythromycin. Most patients recover with fluid and electrolyte replacement alone.

Is this comic free to read?

The first pages are free to preview. Members read the full comic, and you can sign up free to read one comic in full.