“Drink, children, milk, you will be healthy” – this line from a popular children’s song is no longer relevant. Fresh milk can become a source of infection, which is not even amenable to antibiotics.
This is campylobacteriosis. This is a serious disease that is fraught with a number of complications and can be fatal. This infection is caused by a bacterium called Campylobacter jejuni.
The attention of epidemiologists was attracted by a surge in the incidence of campylobacteriosis in one of the US states, namely in Colorado. After studying the dietary habits of local residents, experts came to the conclusion that fresh milk could be the source of infection. This product is consistently in high demand among the people of Colorado. Also, despite the fact that after the epidemiologists sounded the alarm, state authorities banned the sale of unpasteurized milk, fans of this product still manage to buy it “under the counter”. At the same time, according to the researchers, love for this product increases the risk of contracting campylobacteriosis by more than one hundred and fifty times.
A distinctive characteristic of Campylobacter jejuni bacteria is their “survivability” – they do not respond to the action of antibiotics, including tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. Therefore, the treatment of an infection provoked by them can be very problematic. Once in the body, the bacterium enters the small intestine. Having penetrated into its mucosa, it provokes an inflammatory process and general intoxication of the body, which causes severe damage to the digestive tract, fever, abdominal pain of varying intensity, diarrhea and vomiting. In the event that the patient is not provided with timely assistance, the development of intestinal bleeding and peritonitis is possible. In the risk group, first of all, are people with reduced body resistance: children and adolescents, the elderly.