What Are the Symptoms of Campylobacter?
CDC lists diarrhea that can be bloody, fever and stomach cramps, sometimes with nausea or vomiting, and says symptoms usually start 2 to 5 days after swallowing the bacteria and end within 7 days. It says Campylobacter cause the most bacterial diarrheal illnesses.
A tiny amount can make you sick. CDC says it takes very few Campylobacter to cause illness, and that a single drop of juice from raw chicken can contain enough to cause an infection. It calls poultry one of the top causes of Campylobacter infection in the United States, advises cooking poultry and foods containing it, such as sausages and casseroles, to a safe internal temperature of 165°F, and says to look for the word pasteurized on milk, dairy products and juices.
Complications are uncommon but serious. CDC says Campylobacter can cause irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which a person's immune system harms the nerves, causing muscle weakness, sometimes paralysis, and hospitalization. It estimates that only 0.2 to 1.7 of every 1,000 Campylobacter illnesses lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, but that Campylobacter is responsible for 5 to 41 percent of cases of the syndrome.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceCDC says Campylobacter causes diarrhea that can be bloody, fever and stomach cramps, starting 2 to 5 days after infection and usually ending within 7 days. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says Campylobacter cause the most bacterial diarrheal illnesses. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says very few Campylobacter can make someone sick, and a single drop of juice from raw chicken can contain enough to cause infection. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC calls poultry one of the top causes of Campylobacter infection and advises cooking poultry and foods containing it to 165°F. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC advises looking for the word pasteurized on milk, dairy products and juices, and not buying them if in doubt. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says Campylobacter can cause complications including irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can bring muscle weakness and paralysis. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC estimates 0.2 to 1.7 of every 1,000 Campylobacter illnesses lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, and Campylobacter causes 5 to 41 percent of GBS cases. CDC ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.