Outbreaks of Campylobacter Infections

About Campylobacter outbreaks

An outbreak happens when two or more people get the same illness from the same source.

Public health officials investigate outbreaks to

  • stop them so more people do not get sick, and
  • learn how to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

Quick facts

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

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

Selected Outbreak Investigations

The list on this page includes multistate outbreak investigations involving Campylobacter and some notable single-state outbreaks.

2019: Outbreak of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter infections linked to contact with pet store puppies
2016–2018: Outbreak of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter linked to contact with pet store puppies
2014: Outbreak of Campylobacter linked to raw milk
MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report / Vol. 65 / No. 12 / P. 301–305
2012: Outbreak of Campylobacter linked to a muddy race
2012: Outbreak of Campylobacter in the northeastern U.S. linked to undercooked chicken livers
2011: Outbreak of Guillain-Barré syndrome in U.S. and Mexico linked to tap water

Resource

For a fuller listing of outbreaks reported to CDC, please use the Bacteria, Enterics, Ameba, and Mycotics (BEAM) Dashboard.
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Content Source
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
About This Page
Published: May 15, 2024
Updated: August 12, 2026

This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.

Reviewed: August 12, 2026

The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.