Long-term infections with Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni

Seventy-three apparently healthy, rural South African schoolchildren 6 to 8 or 13 to 16 years of age were examined five times over a 16-month period for fecal pathogens. Nine were positive for Campylobacter fetus subsp. jejuni. The organism was isolated intermittently from six children for at least 9 months and from three children for more than 1 year. Five of the long-term infections occurred among the 46 children aged 6 to 8 years (10.9%) versus one long-term infection among the 27 children aged 13 to 16 years (3.7%). It is not possible with present microbiological techniques to make a clear-cut distinction between reinfected subjects and chronic carriers.