The UK leads the world in Campylobacter research, with about fifteen groups of scientists working on the organism. One of these is Dr Brendan Wren's team at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London which is at the forefront of research into the genetics of C. jejuni and the characterisation of the genes and their products that make the organism such a formidable pathogen. Illness typically starts 2-5 days after ingestion of the bacteria. The effects can be very debilitating, and may last up to 10 days. In most cases, the infection is self-limiting and is not treated with antibiotics.
Complications are very rare, but can be serious.
Over a third of reported Guillain-Barr syndrome cases are associated with a previous infection with Campylobacter. It is thought to arise from the organism's ability to mimic, on its surface, molecules normally found on cells of the host's nervous system. As the body's defences mobilise against the pathogen, they can attack the nerve cells too. Dr Wren is quick to stress the importance of an integrated strategy for understanding the pathophysiology of C. jejuni. He is sceptical that a piecemeal approach could ever be adequate to enable the development of effective new control strategies or antibiotics against the organism.