Campylobacter jejuni is a gram-negative spiral-shaped bacterium. It causes intestinal infections, usually of zoonotic origin. The clinical presentation is characterized by acute diarrhea, which may or may not be accompanied by vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, and general discomfort.
It is estimated that Campylobacter causes 1.5 million infections and $270 million in direct medical costs each year. Of these infections, 29% exhibit reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones (such as ciprofloxacin) or macrolides (such as azithromycin), which are the antibiotics used to treat severe Campylobacter infections.