The thermotolerant species of
Campylobacter
have become very important in public health,
particularly as agents of infectious diarrhoea in human beings. Though the mechanism by which they cause
disease is yet to be fully explained, they have been recognized as the leading cause of bacterial enteritis in both
developed and developing countries. The organisms colonize different animal species without causing any
symptoms of disease; and humans acquire infections through contact with or consumption of contaminated
meat especially raw/undercooked poultry meat. The growing trend of antibiotic resistant
Campylobacter
isolates continues to pose significant public health challenges. In this review we present the available
information generated in Tanzania about
Campylobacter infections in humans and animals. We conducted a
structured literature search of PUBMED and ScienceDirect electronic databases and identified 15 articles.
Studies on humans reported
Campylobacter infections in both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects; with
higher prevalence in children under the age of five years. Studies on animals found colonization of both
domestic and wild species. Among isolates, some demonstrated antimicrobial resistance. The available
information for both human and animal Campylobacteriosis in the country is sparse. It however provides an
insight of the bacteriological and epidemiological aspects of
Campylobacter infections in the country and
eventually creates more awareness on the need to develop control strategies. Since the organism is zoonotic
its control strategies should adopt the “One Health” approach involving collaborative efforts from veterinary
and human medicine.
