Isolation and typing methods for the epidemiologic investigation of thermotolerant campylobacters.

Thermotolerant campylobacters, C. jejuni, C. coli, C. lari and C. upsaliensis, are spiral bacteria involved in human enteric disease. The prevalence of these emerging pathogens, mainly C. jejuni and to a lesser extent C. coli, as etiologic agents of enteric disease in industrialized countries has increased over the last decade. The isolation and culture of these microorganisms is tedious and time-consuming mainly due to their complex nutritional and environmental requirements. This review discusses the techniques and methods developed for the selective isolation of thermotolerant campylobacters from food, environmental and clinical samples. Additionally, both traditional and newer molecular biology techniques applied to this group of thermophilic organisms for typing and taxonomic purposes are summarized.