Campylobacter Symptoms During Pregnancy

When you are pregnant, hormonal shifts also weaken your immune system. According to Colorado State University (CSU), the approximately 6.5 million American women who become pregnant annually are more at risk of developing a food-borne illness, such as campylobacteriosis.

• Healthy pregnancy

Facts

• Campylobacteriosis is caused by the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni, found in untreated water and in the intestinal tracts of animals, particularly chickens.

Time Frame

• Symptoms usually emerge within two to five days of eating contaminated food.

Symptoms

• According to Merck.com, the No. 1 symptom of a campylobacter infection is watery or bloody diarrhea. Additional symptoms include muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and abdominal cramping.

Risks

• When a pregnant woman becomes infected with C. jejuni, the bacteria may be transmitted to the placenta, CSU states. Consequences of the infection spreading to your unborn baby include preterm delivery, miscarriage and stillbirth.

Treatment

• The bacteria can be eradicated with antibiotic therapy. Erythromycin is effective in treating campylobacteriosis with dosages or 500 mg taken every 6 hours for 5 days being the recommended treatment plan, according to Merck.com.

Prevention

• To reduce your odds of contracting a food-borne illness, thoroughly cook all meat, shellfish and poultry. Consume only pasteurized milk products, and sanitize cooking surfaces, utensils and anything else that comes into contact with raw fish, poultry or meat.