Research and analysis

Campylobacter data 2010 to 2019

Updated 4 April 2024

Main points for 2019

The 2019 report shows that:

• the number of reported Campylobacter cases in England increased from 56,278 cases in 2018 to 56,439 cases in 2019, an increase of 161 cases
• the region that reported the highest number of Campylobacter laboratory reports was the South East with 11,135 reports
• overall, 56% of Campylobacter laboratory confirmed cases in England were male
• the section of the population with the highest number of laboratory reports was the 50 to 59 year age group
• July was the peak month for Campylobacter reporting in 2019

Campylobacter laboratory data 2010 to 2019

All data presented in this report is correct as of 20 January 2022. This report covers all Campylobacter species in England.

Annual data 2010 to 2019

Table 1 and Figure 1 show the trend of Campylobacter laboratory reports in England from 2010 to 2019.

Table 1. Annual laboratory reports of Campylobacter in England from 2010 to 2019

Year	Number of laboratory reports	Laboratory reports per 100,000 population
2010	59,284	112.62
2011	60,261	113.47
2012	61,146	114.31
2013	55,614	103.25
2014	58,496	107.69
2015	51,817	94.58
2016	49,077	88.80
2017	52,818	94.96
2018	56,278	100.54
2019	56,439	100.27

Figure 1. Annual laboratory reports of Campylobacter in England from 2010 to 2019

Regional data

Table 2 displays the number of Campylobacter laboratory reports per region in 2019. Regional classification is based on place of residence of reported cases and classified using NUTS1 (Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics, level 1) codes.

Table 2. Regional distribution of laboratory reports of Campylobacter in England 2019

Region	Laboratory reports
East Midlands	4,963
East of England	6,229
London	5,583
North East	3,315
North West	6,516
South East	11,135
South West	6,835
West Midlands	5,945
Yorkshire and the Humber	5,918

Age and sex distribution in 2019

Figure 2 shows the age and sex distribution of Campylobacter laboratory reports in England during 2019. For this graph, 151 laboratory reports were excluded where case age or sex was unknown.

Figure 2. Age and sex distribution of laboratory reports of Campylobacter in England in 2019 (n=56,288)

Seasonal variation in 2019

Figure 3 shows the seasonal trend of laboratory reporting for all Campylobacter species in England during 2019 by month. In 2019, the number of laboratory reports per month was higher than the median of the previous 5 years (2013 to 2017) for all months apart from January and February. The peak in Campylobacter laboratory reporting occurred in July.

Figure 3. Seasonality of laboratory reports of all Campylobacter species in England in 2019

Campylobacter typing in 2019

In 2019, 21% of Campylobacter samples (n=11,959) in England were speciated by frontline laboratories. The majority of the speciated Campylobacter samples were Campylobacter jejuni, 18.9% (n=10,682) followed by Campylobacter coli, 2.2% (n=1,220).

Foodborne outbreak data in 2019

Table 3. Foodborne outbreaks of Campylobacter reported in England [Note 1] in 2019.

Agent	Total affected	Laboratory confirmed	Hospitalised [Note 2]	Deaths [Note 2]	Setting	Food description
Campylobacter sp.	22	6	0	0	Other food service setting	Unknown
Campylobacter sp.	15	5	0	0	Restaurant/Café/Pub/Hotel or Catering service	Chicken liver pâté

[Note 1] Number of cases is for cases resident in England and Wales as eFOSS (electronic foodborne and non-foodborne gastrointestinal outbreak surveillance system) covers outbreak surveillance for both countries.

[Note 2] Clinical outcome not known for all cases. This only represents cases who have hospitalisations or deaths reported to national surveillance.

Data sources

This report was produced using data derived from 2 data sources. The first is the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), formerly Public Health England (PHE), Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS). This is a live laboratory reporting system therefore numbers are subject to change. In 2014, PHE upgraded the laboratory reporting system so direct comparisons between data reported from the previous system (LabBase2) and the new system (SGSS) may require cautious interpretation.

The second data source is the Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) (GIFSOH) division’s eFOSS, which is also a live laboratory reporting system and therefore numbers are subject to change.

Data caveats

This report was produced using data for England only, therefore the number of Campylobacter laboratory reports published in previous annual reports will be higher than those included in this report.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to:

• the microbiologists and local authorities, health protection and environmental health specialists who have contributed data and reports to national surveillance systems
• the epidemiologists and information officers who have worked on the national surveillance of intestinal infectious diseases
• colleagues in the Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit (GBRU) for providing the Reference Laboratory Services and laboratory surveillance functions and expertise
• UKHSA (formerly PHE) Information Management Department for maintenance and quality assurance of UKHSA national surveillance databases used for Gastrointestinal Infections (GI) pathogen surveillance at the national level
• UKHSA (formerly PHE) Local Public Health Laboratories and Food Water and Environmental Microbiology Services for providing a surveillance function for GI pathogens and testing of food and environmental samples routinely and during outbreak investigations
• all colleagues who have investigated and reported outbreaks to the eFOSS