Studies On The Pathogenicity Of Campylobacter Jejuni

SUMMARY

Rats experimentally infected with about 10 CFU or more of Campylobacter jejuns were promptly colonized. Campylobacter jejuni was recovered from faecal cultures of infected rats for up to 17 weeks post infection. The infected rats did not succumb to diarrhoea throughout the experiment. Haemagglutination assay was used to detect adhesins of Campylobacter jejuni isolated locally. Five out of 15 (33 percent) of the strains tested agglutinated erythrocytes of human blood group A+ and guinea pig but not sheep RBC's.

The haemagglutination observed was inhibited by mannose and galactose but not glucose. The presence of adhesins and the ability of Campylobacter jejuni to colonize the intestinal tract both enhance the establishment of infection. Two out of five (40 percent) culture filtrates of Campylobacter jojuni showed both cytotonic and cytotoxic activities on Vero, Hela and Hep2 cells. Two out of 18 (11 percent) of the filtrates also caused fluid accumulation in ligated rat ileal loop. he cytotonic toxin may be responsible for diarıhoea induction while the cytotoxic toxins may account for the dysenteric symptoms observed with Campylobacter jejuni infections.