Enteric Campylobacteria and RNA Viruses Associated with Healthy and Diarrheic Humans in the Chinook Health Region of Southwestern Alberta, Canada

The presence of Campylobacter species and enteric RNA viruses in stools from diarrheic (n = 442) and healthy (n = 58) humans living in southwestern Alberta was examined (May to October 2005). A large number of diarrheic individuals who were culture negative for C. jejuni (n = 54) or C. coli (n = 19) were PCR positive for these taxa. Overall detection rates for C. jejuni and C. coli in diarrheic stools were 29% and 5%, respectively. In contrast, 3% and 0% of stools from healthy humans were positive for these taxa, respectively. Infection with C. jejuni was endemic over the study period. However, there was no difference in infection rates between individuals living in urban or rural locations. Stools from a large number of diarrheic (74%) and healthy (88%) individuals were positive for Campylobacter DNA. The prevalence rates of C. concisus, C. curvus, C. fetus, C. gracilis, C. helveticus, C. hominis, C. hyointestinalis, C. mucosalis, C. showae, C. sputorum, and C. upsaliensis DNA were either not significantly different or were significantly lower in stools from diarrheic than from healthy individuals. No C. lanienae or C. lari DNA was detected. Stools from 4% and 0% of diarrheic and healthy humans, respectively, were positive for rotavirus, sapovirus, or norovirus (GI/GII). Our results showed a high prevalence of diarrheic individuals living in southwestern Alberta who were infected by C. jejuni and, to a lesser extent, by C. coli. However, other Campylobacter species, norovirus, rotavirus, sapovirus, and bovine enteric calicivirus were either inconsequential pathogens during the study period or are not pathogens at all.