The number of enteric infections caused by Campylobacter genus - and Campylobacter jejuni (thermo tolerant bacterium) in particular - has been rising rapidly ever since many countries set up monitoring systems.

The complications related to these infections - bacteraemia, secondary infections and Guillain-Barré syndrome (neurological complication) - are now well documented and can be particularly severe.

Campylobacter is the third cause of death from food borne infections after Salmonella and Listeria.

Campylobacter is found primarily in warm-blooded animals, particularly poultry. Transmission to humans usually occurs through eating insufficiently cooked contaminated foods (poultry, mutton, pork) and exposure to contaminated water and environments in food production facilities and animal breeding facilities (primarily poultry farms).

The frequent presence and high level of Campylobacter in such samples, the lack of regulations in most countries and the complex analyses required are all factors that have, until now, hampered routine screening.