Campylobacter virulence and survival factors

• Campylobacter have complex multifactorial systems for motility, chemotaxis, adherence and invasion.
• Campylobacter stress response systems include antioxidant defence, heat shock and the ability to enter the VBNC state.
• Campylobacter have the genetic machinery to survive food processing often with enhanced pathogenicity.

Despite over 30 years of research, campylobacteriosis is the most prevalent foodborne bacterial infection in many countries including in the European Union and the United States of America. However, relatively little is known about the virulence factors in Campylobacter or how an apparently fragile organism can survive in the food chain, often with enhanced pathogenicity. This review collates information on the virulence and survival determinants including motility, chemotaxis, adhesion, invasion, multidrug resistance, bile resistance and stress response factors. It discusses their function in transition through the food processing environment and human infection. In doing so it provides a fundamental understanding of Campylobacter, critical for improved diagnosis, surveillance and control.