Campylobacter

Symptoms: Severe diarrhoea and abdominal pain following a general feeling of illness are the symptoms most associated with this illness. Vomiting is rare. This illness may be confused with appendicitis.
First symptoms can take 1-10 days (most commonly 2-5 days) from initial contact with the contaminated source. The illness can last from 2 days to a week, and is very rarely fatal even in vulnerable groups.

Where does it come from and how does it spread?

This illness is most closely associated with food, water and milk, which have been contaminated. Campylobacter is widely distributed in nature, and are also found in the intestinal tract of some animals, in particular poultry. The thorough cooking of food is an important control measure which destroys any contamination present. Care must be taken after cooking, as further contamination may be introduced by direct or indirect contact (cross-contamination) with contaminated raw meat or by an infected food handler who is not carrying out good personal hygiene.
Pasteurisation and water treatment will destroy any campylobacter that is present in the milk or water (animals may shed the bacteria into watercourses). However incidents of contamination may occur afterwards such as bird pecked milk bottles.
Direct contact with contaminated animals i.e. pets, farm animals and wild birds is also a source of infection.
Person to person spread is uncommon.