Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter species)

Reportable by Laboratories and Providers

About this Reportable Disease

Infectious agent: Campylobacter bacteria, most commonly Campylobacter jejuni followed by Campylobacter coli

Description of illness: Symptoms of infection include diarrhea (frequently bloody), abdominal cramps and fever.

Surveillance Data

Laboratory Reporting for this Disease

Campylobacter species

TEST NAME	Campylobacter species
DISEASE/DISORDER	Campylobacteriosis
ALTERNATE NAME(S)	Campy
METHODOLOGY	Culture
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS	Isolate or specimen submission REQUIRED Contact CEDEP if foodborne outbreak is suspected.
ORDERING INFORMATION	TDH DLS Requisition: PH-4182 Clinical Submission Requisition

Specimen Requirements

Patient Preparation	Medications: Do not use barium or bismuth before collection of specimen"
Specimen Collection	Acceptable Specimen Sources/Type(s) for Submission - Stool: - C & S Culture Transport Media (example: ParaPak) - Semisolid or liquid transport media (i.e. Cary Blair or Amies) - Commercially available transport system specific for recovery of enteric pathogens from fecal specimens - Isolates: - Pure cultures in microaerophilic conditions
Specimen Labeling	Specimen must be labeled with at least two unique patient identifiers and match accompanying PH-4182 Clinical Submission Requisition
Specimen Processing	None
Specimen Storage and Preservation	Stool specimens in approved transport media should be stored at 2 - 30°C and arrive at the laboratory within 4 days of specimen collection. If possible, refrigerate at 2 - 8°C. Isolates should be stored at ambient temperatures in microaerophilic conditions and submitted within 2 weeks of isolation.
Specimen Transportation	Ship stool specimens in appropriate transport media at 2 - 30°C with cold packs. If possible maintain at 2 - 8°C. Ship isolates at ambient temperature in microaerophilic conditions. All infectious substance shipments must conform to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR 49 C.F.R. Parts 171-180).
Specimen Acceptability and Rejection	Specimens that do not meet all specimen requirements will be rejected.
Testing Location	Nashville

Laboratory Reporting

Reporting requirements apply to all laboratories located within Tennessee, as well as laboratories outside of Tennessee that test residents of Tennessee, including laboratories located within healthcare facilities. Healthcare providers and laboratories in the same healthcare facility both have a duty to report. The type of organisms and analytes laboratories must report to TDH for 2026 are indicated, and there are several ways laboratories can report results to TDH.

Manually report results to TDH by faxing or mailing a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department, or faxing to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
Automatically submit results to TDH via electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), which automates the process of sharing data with TDH using interoperability standards.
- See the ELR Onboarding Handbook for details on the onboarding process, checklist, frequently asked questions, business rules, message format, and vocabulary.
- To initiate the ELR onboarding process with TDH, register in the Trading Partner Registration (TPR) system TPR provides documentation for Promoting Interoperability (PI) attestation and milestone letters to document onboarding progress. Contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.

Information about this Reportable Disease for Healthcare Providers

Clinical Details

Campylobacteriosis is an acute bacterial gastroenteritis most commonly caused by Campylobacter jejuni (and also C. coli). Typical incubation is 2–5 days, and illness is characterized by diarrhea (often bloody), abdominal pain/cramps, and fever, sometimes with nausea and vomiting; more severe disease can include bloodstream infection or presentations that mimic appendicitis or inflammatory bowel disease.

Infection is most often acquired from raw/undercooked poultry or foods cross-contaminated by raw poultry; other sources include unpasteurized milk/dairy, untreated water, produce, seafood, and contact with dog/cat feces. Person-to-person spread is uncommon.

Diagnosis can be made by culture of a clinical specimen or by culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) (e.g., PCR/antigen). When a CIDT is positive, culture confirmation is important for antimicrobial susceptibility data and molecular subtyping (e.g., whole genome sequencing).

Management is usually supportive (hydration) because most patients recover without antibiotics; antibiotics may be used for patients with severe disease or those at higher risk (CDC highlights higher risk for severe disease in adults ≥65, pregnant people, and immunocompromised patients). When antibiotics are used, azithromycin and fluoroquinolones are common options, but fluoroquinolone resistance is common in the U.S., so susceptibility testing can help guide therapy.

In Tennessee, Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter species) is a reportable condition; TDH notes the infectious agent (Campylobacter species) and describes the typical symptom set (often bloody diarrhea with abdominal cramps and fever).

Clinical Links & Info

Review the case definition | CDC

Clinical Information about this disease | CDC

Healthcare Provider Reporting

Healthcare reporting requirements apply to all providers located within Tennessee, as well as providers whose patients reside in Tennessee.

Providers must report cases of all diseases and conditions listed through one of these methods:

• Mail or fax a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department or fax to the state health office at (615) 741-3857

• Send automatically via electronic case reporting (eCR). See this TDH webpage for more information on eCR, register at the Trader Partner Registration website, or contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.

• Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.

• Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.

Information about this Reportable Disease for the Public

Who Should be Screened?

Children at 12 and 24 months old*
Children 36-72 months old without a documented blood lead level*
Children whose parent/guardian requests a blood lead level.
Children whose parent/guardian answers “yes” or “don’t know” to any questions on the risk assessment used at well-child checks between 6-72 months of age or when child’s risk status changes.
All foreign-born children (such as recent immigrants, refugees, and international adoptees) should be screened for elevated blood lead levels within 90 days of arrival into the United States. Screening should be repeated 3-6 months later after placed in permanent residence for children 6 months to 6 years of age.

*Required for all TennCare recipients