Isolation, identification and subtyping of Campylobacter: where to from here?

Campylobacter species are widely regarded as the most frequent bacterial cause of gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. Their main transmission routes are via contaminated food and water. For interventions to be effective, methods for the detection, identification and epidemiological subtyping must be sensitive, accurate and rapid. As yet, methods are not perfect, although several significant advances have been made in these areas in recent years. This paper provides a brief review and commentary on the current state of the art in the hope that it will help provide context for others in selecting, improving or developing these vital tools for research and diagnoses.