Published 06.13
Wash knives, cutting boards and wash your hands – this is how you avoid the intestinal bacteria campylobacter.
– There is a clear increase in people during June, July and August, says Catarina Flink, microbiologist at the Swedish Food Agency.
Campylobacter is a common bacteria that both humans and animals can carry. This applies above all to poultry such as chicken, but it can be found in pig, beef, sheep and unpasteurized milk.
– In the summer it is often very hot and humid, which means that the bacteria thrives very well, says Catarina Flink.
Fever and pains
In humans, it causes severe stomach pains, nausea, fever and sometimes bloody diarrhea.
– Symptoms usually appear two to five days after ingesting the bacteria, and the vast majority of campylobacter infections heal on their own after a few days. Sometimes it can cause different types of sequelae, which can be joint problems, chronic stomach problems and nerve disease, says Catarina Flink.
Most often, people get the bacteria via chicken.
– A common route of spread is via hands and kitchen utensils. Quite a few campylobacters are enough for one to be affected by the infection. A splash or contact with contaminated meat can lead to infection, says Catarina Flink.
Therefore, it is important to maintain good kitchen hygiene when cooking chicken.
Do not rinse under the tap
Catarina Flink advises that you should wash knives, cutting boards, wipe up meat juices with kitchen paper instead of a dishcloth and wash your hands with soap and water.
– Another tip is that you should not rinse the chicken under the tap because then it can splash campylobacter to other food that is nearby. You should also always fry chicken through, because then the bacteria that are there will die.
Campylobacter can also be spread via livestock and pets, or through unpasteurized milk. But also through water.
According to the Infection Control Act, all cases of campylobacter infection must be reported to an infection control doctor.
Campylobacter
Campylobacter is an intestinal bacterium that occurs in many animal species.
The disease is usually spread via contaminated food or contaminated drinking water.
The most common cause of human infection is via chicken.
The incubation period is usually 1–3 days, but can be up to ten days.
Most people fall ill acutely with diarrhea that is sometimes mixed with blood, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and fever.
In 2025, 5,463 cases of campylobacter infection were reported in Sweden.
The statistics also show that from the end of May this year the number of domestically infected people increased and in the first week of June 91 cases were reported. The cases are found in several regions.
Source: Public Health Agency, Swedish Food Agency.
