Outbreaks of Campylobacter Infections

About these resources

When two or more people get the same illness from the same source, the event is called an outbreak. The list on this page includes multistate outbreak investigations involving Campylobacter and some notable single-state outbreaks.

For a complete listing of outbreaks reported to CDC, please use the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) Dashboard.

Public health officials investigate outbreaks to control them, so more people do not get sick, and to learn how to prevent similar outbreaks from happening in the future.

Information about Campylobacter outbreaks

Frequency

Campylobacter outbreaks are not commonly reported, but the frequency has generally been increasing since 1998.

Causes

Raw milk, poultry, and drinking water have been the most commonly identified sources of Campylobacter outbreaks.

Detection

Outbreaks are identified when reported cases increase in a specific location or time period. State, local, and territorial public health departments have the primary responsibility for identifying and investigating Campylobacter outbreaks.

Reporting

Outbreaks are reported to CDC by state health departments through the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS).