Vomiting occurs in about a third of infections, but is typically mild and does not result in dehydration. The preferred treatment is erythromycin for 5 to 7 days. Diarrhea is a natural cleansing mechanism of the gut that reduces the chance that bacteria can invade the bloodstream from the intestine. Campylobacter fetus is closely related to C. jejuni. It is a very uncommon disease-causing bacterium in humans, striking mainly newborns and immunosuppressed individuals.
Newborns acquire the disease by passage through the mother's genital tract.
C. fetus infection can present as bloody diarrhea. Unlike C. jejuni, C. fetus frequently is associated with sepsis and serious secondary infections, such as meningitis, endocarditis, or pneumonia.