# Campylobacter Infection - Category: acute - Review status: reviewed (every claim checked against a document named on this page) - Sources: Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Azithromycin monograph, PDF page index 267-268 (printed p258-259), "General dosing, susceptible infection". Note: this monograph lists no shigellosis or campylobacter indication - the dose shown is the formulary's general azithromycin course, not an indication-matched regimen. If the project requires indication-matched sourcing, this row needs a WHO or CDC diarrhoeal-disease citation instead. · Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Ciprofloxacin monograph, PDF page index 373-374 (printed p364-365). The formulary lists "infectious diarrhea" as an adult indication but attaches no dose to it; the 500 mg every 12 hours figure is taken from its nontyphoidal Salmonella GI regimen. There is no shigellosis, campylobacter or Yersinia enterocolitica regimen in this monograph. · WHO. The treatment of diarrhoea: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers, 4th rev. Geneva: WHO; 2005 (IRIS 10665/43209), section 4.3.1 and Table 2 - Verified date: 2026-08 ## Verified against - Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Azithromycin monograph, PDF page index 267-268 (printed p258-259), "General dosing, susceptible infection". Note: this monograph lists no shigellosis or campylobacter indication - the dose shown is the formulary's general azithromycin course, not an indication-matched regimen. - Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Ciprofloxacin monograph, PDF page index 373-374 (printed p364-365). The formulary lists "infectious diarrhea" as an adult indication but attaches no dose to it; the 500 mg every 12 hours figure is taken from its nontyphoidal Salmonella GI regimen. There is no shigellosis, campylobacter or Yersinia enterocolitica regimen in this monograph. - WHO. The treatment of diarrhoea: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers, 4th rev. Geneva: WHO; 2005 (IRIS 10665/43209), section 4.3.1 and Table 2 - Campylobacter Infection - disease-level clinical article (campylobacter-infection-clinical.txt) ## Treatment metadata - ORS — oral.solution - Referral & safety-netting (no drug therapy) - Azithromycin — 500 mg — oral.solid - Ciprofloxacin — 500 mg — oral.solid ## Complete treatment card ```text CAMPYLOBACTER INFECTION Sources: Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Azithromycin monograph, PDF page index 267-268 (printed p258-259), "General dosing, susceptible infection". Note: this monograph lists no shigellosis or campylobacter indication - the dose shown is the formulary's general azithromycin course, not an indication-matched regimen. If the project requires indication-matched sourcing, this row needs a WHO or CDC diarrhoeal-disease citation instead. · Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Ciprofloxacin monograph, PDF page index 373-374 (printed p364-365). The formulary lists "infectious diarrhea" as an adult indication but attaches no dose to it; the 500 mg every 12 hours figure is taken from its nontyphoidal Salmonella GI regimen. There is no shigellosis, campylobacter or Yersinia enterocolitica regimen in this monograph. · WHO. The treatment of diarrhoea: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers, 4th rev. Geneva: WHO; 2005 (IRIS 10665/43209), section 4.3.1 and Table 2 Review status: REVIEWED against Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Azithromycin monograph, PDF page index 267-268 (printed p258-259), "General dosing, susceptible infection". Note: this monograph lists no shigellosis or campylobacter indication - the dose shown is the formulary's general azithromycin course, not an indication-matched regimen., Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Ciprofloxacin monograph, PDF page index 373-374 (printed p364-365). The formulary lists "infectious diarrhea" as an adult indication but attaches no dose to it; the 500 mg every 12 hours figure is taken from its nontyphoidal Salmonella GI regimen. There is no shigellosis, campylobacter or Yersinia enterocolitica regimen in this monograph., WHO. The treatment of diarrhoea: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers, 4th rev. Geneva: WHO; 2005 (IRIS 10665/43209), section 4.3.1 and Table 2, Campylobacter Infection - disease-level clinical article (campylobacter-infection- clinical.txt) (2026-08) IS IT THIS? - reference only, to read alongside your own examination SYMPTOMS - what the patient reports (6) - A 1-3 day prodrome of high fever, rigors, dizziness, and body aches marks a more severe course [dizziness · fever · muscle pain · rigors] - Symptoms begin 24 to 72 hours after ingestion and peak over 24 to 48 hours - Acute diarrheal illness lasts about 7 days on average - Abdominal pain often persists for days to weeks after the diarrhea itself has resolved [abdominal pain · diarrhoea] - More than 10 stools per day, often bloody and mucous-like, can occur during the acute phase - Abdominal pain can mimic appendicitis, reflecting acute ileocolitis [abdominal pain] SIGNS - what you find (2) - Patients can look notably unwell on examination - Diffuse abdominal tenderness on exam, most marked in the right and left lower quadrants [abdominal tenderness] TESTS (5) - Diagnosis is established by stool culture, EIA, or PCR - Selective culture works best because the organisms grow optimally at 42C in 5-10% oxygen - EIA and PCR are more sensitive than stool culture - Real-time PCR can rapidly and accurately detect C. jejuni directly in diarrheal stool - Rapid stool antigen tests exist but have questionable value as stand-alone tests IF NOT THIS - what else fits (5) - Other bacterial diarrheal illnesses: Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Listeria, C. difficile, and Yersinia enterocolitica - Viral gastroenteritis such as norovirus, and toxin-mediated food poisoning, can look similar - Parasitic causes (Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba) can prolong diarrhea in travelers and the immunocompromised, mimicking this infection - Pain mimicking appendicitis may need ultrasound, CT, or MRI to sort out - Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis can also cause abdominal pain with bloody stools, distinguished by culture, imaging, biopsy, and colonoscopy Source StatPearls "Campylobacter Infection" - disease-level clinical article Status traced to the source above 1. ORS [1st line] Adult Plan A (no dehydration): Drink as much ORS solution / fluid as desired after each loose stool. Plan B (some dehydration): 2,200 to 4,000 mL of ORS solution over the first 4 hours (up to 750 mL/hour), then reassess. - Until diarrhoea stops Peds Under 2 years: 50 to 100 mL of ORS after each loose stool (Plan A, no dehydration). With some dehydration, Plan B is by weight at any age. 2 to 10 years: 100 to 200 mL of ORS after each loose stool (Plan A, no dehydration). With some dehydration, Plan B is by weight at any age. (Plan B (some dehydration): give the child's weight in kg x 75 mL of ORS solution in the first 4 hours, then reassess. Plan A (no dehydration): 50-100 mL after each loose stool under 2 years, 100-200 mL from 2 to 10 years.) Source WHO. The treatment of diarrhoea: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers, 4th rev. Geneva: WHO; 2005 (IRIS 10665/43209), section 4.3.1 and Table 2 Why Standard oral rehydration regimen for infectious diarrhoea of any bacterial cause; Campylobacter causes typical, not cholera-scale, fluid loss. Caution Mainstay of treatment for essentially all patients regardless of whether antibiotics are also given. Assess and correct dehydration first; use the higher-volume cholera regimen only if profuse watery ('rice-water') stool suggests cholera instead. Continue feeding/breastfeeding in children alongside ORS. Reassess or refer for high fever, bloody diarrhoea, signs of dehydration, symptoms lasting more than a week, or an immunocompromised patient. Egypt GLUCOHYDRAN 10 SACHET. ARAB DRUG COM... 1.75 EGP REHYDRAN N 10 SACHET CID 4.50 EGP REHYDRO ZINC 10 SACHETS CID 7.00 EGP ORS 20 SACHETS PHAROPHARMA 40.00 EGP ELECTRO MASH SYRUP 200 ML MASH PREMIERE 60.00 EGP FLEXOLYTE ORAL REHYDRATION SOL. 240 ML KEMPETRO FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES 65.00 EGP HERO ORS 200 ML HERO > HERO M... 120.00 EGP SANSO ORS SYRUP 140 ML AUG PHARMA 400.00 EGP 2. REFERRAL & SAFETY-NETTING (NO DRUG THERAPY) [1st line] Adult Source Campylobacter Infection - disease-level clinical article (campylobacter-infection- clinical.txt) Why Carries the referral criteria and warning signs for this condition, which apply whichever treatment is chosen. Caution RED FLAG - Antibiotics are only indicated for high-risk patients (immunocompromised, elderly) or severe disease (fever, bloody stools, severe abdominal pain) - healthy patients get supportive care only. RED FLAG - Guillain-Barre syndrome (ascending paralysis) is a delayed post-infectious complication patients should be warned to watch for. 3. AZITHROMYCIN [2nd line] Adult 500 mg once daily x 3 days Peds Formulary general dosing for susceptible infection, oral: 10 to 12 mg/kg as a single dose on day 1 (maximum 500 mg), then 5 to 6 mg/kg once daily (maximum 250 mg) for the rest of the course. The day-1 dose and the maintenance dose are different - do not give 10 mg/kg every day. (The flat 10 mg/kg once daily, max 500 mg, is the formulary's intravenous figure.) AWaRe WATCH group - carries resistance cost. Egyptian EML 2025. Source Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Azithromycin monograph, PDF page index 267-268 (printed p258-259), "General dosing, susceptible infection". Note: this monograph lists no shigellosis or campylobacter indication - the dose shown is the formulary's general azithromycin course, not an indication-matched regimen. Why A 3-day course of azithromycin is the standard first-line antibiotic for severe or prolonged Campylobacter enteritis; the source dose (500 mg once daily) matches this regimen even though the library files the row under otitis media. Caution Paediatric regimen is a day-1 loading dose then a halved daily dose - it cannot be calculated from a single mg/kg figure. The Egyptian formulary lists no shigellosis or campylobacter indication for azithromycin; the dose shown is its general susceptible-infection dosing. Preferred over ciprofloxacin for Campylobacter given rising fluoroquinolone resistance. Reserve for severe, bloody, or prolonged (over 1 week) illness, or in the immunocompromised - most cases are self-limiting and need only rehydration. QT prolongation risk with other QT-prolonging drugs. Egypt AZATRIBACT 500MG 3 CAPS. RIVA PHARMA S... 13.50 EGP (4.50/unit) GIGAZOCIN 500MG 5 CAPS. EGPI > PIONEER 27.50 EGP (5.50/unit) SYSTYMYCIN 500MG 3 CAPS. EGPI > NOVELL... 21.50 EGP (7.17/unit) AZITHROMASH 500 MG 3 F.C. TABS. MASH PREMIERE 48.00 EGP (16.00/unit) AZALIDE 500MG 3 CAPS. UP PHARMA 52.00 EGP (17.33/unit) AZROLID 500 MG 6 F.C.TABS. AMRIYA 126.00 EGP (21.00/unit) ZERAMERATE 500 MG EGPI > GAMMA ... 28.50 EGP DISTABCIN 500 MG 3 DISPERSIBLE TABS. EGPI 43.50 EGP ZITHRODOSE 100MG/5ML SUSP. 15ML EL-OBOUR > AV... 12.00 EGP -> ? strength differs, ? different route - not oral solid ZITHROPHATE 200MG/5ML SUSP. 15ML ORGANO PHARMA... 12.75 EGP -> ? strength differs, ? different route - not oral solid 4. CIPROFLOXACIN [3rd line] Adult 500 mg by mouth every 12 hours. x 3 to 14 days - the formulary's range for nontyphoidal Salmonella GI infection. It gives no duration for shigellosis, campylobacter or yersiniosis. Peds 10 mg/kg/dose [child max 500 mg] (Formulary general paediatric dosing for mild to moderate infection: 10 mg/kg per dose twice daily by mouth (immediate release), maximum 500 mg per dose. The formulary's 15 to 20 mg/kg per dose figure is for severe infection and carries a 750 mg per- dose maximum - do not pair 15 mg/kg with a 500 mg cap. Ciprofloxacin is not first-line in children and the formulary gives no paediatric enteric-infection regimen.) 3kg -> 30 mg/dose 4kg -> 40 mg/dose 5kg -> 50 mg/dose 6kg -> 60 mg/dose 7kg -> 70 mg/dose 8kg -> 80 mg/dose 9kg -> 90 mg/dose 10kg -> 100 mg/dose 11kg -> 110 mg/dose 12kg -> 120 mg/dose 13kg -> 130 mg/dose 14kg -> 140 mg/dose 15kg -> 150 mg/dose 16kg -> 160 mg/dose 17kg -> 170 mg/dose 18kg -> 180 mg/dose 19kg -> 190 mg/dose 20kg -> 200 mg/dose 21kg -> 210 mg/dose 22kg -> 220 mg/dose 23kg -> 230 mg/dose 24kg -> 240 mg/dose 25kg -> 250 mg/dose 26kg -> 260 mg/dose 27kg -> 270 mg/dose 28kg -> 280 mg/dose 29kg -> 290 mg/dose 30kg -> 300 mg/dose 31kg -> 310 mg/dose 32kg -> 320 mg/dose 33kg -> 330 mg/dose 34kg -> 340 mg/dose 35kg -> 350 mg/dose 36kg -> 360 mg/dose 37kg -> 370 mg/dose 38kg -> 380 mg/dose 39kg -> 390 mg/dose 40kg -> 400 mg/dose 41kg -> 410 mg/dose 42kg -> 420 mg/dose 43kg -> 430 mg/dose 44kg -> 440 mg/dose 45kg -> 450 mg/dose 46kg -> 460 mg/dose 47kg -> 470 mg/dose 48kg -> 480 mg/dose 49kg -> 490 mg/dose 50kg -> 500 mg/dose AWaRe WATCH group - carries resistance cost. Egyptian EML 2025. Source Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, Ciprofloxacin monograph, PDF page index 373-374 (printed p364-365). The formulary lists "infectious diarrhea" as an adult indication but attaches no dose to it; the 500 mg every 12 hours figure is taken from its nontyphoidal Salmonella GI regimen. There is no shigellosis, campylobacter or Yersinia enterocolitica regimen in this monograph. Why Alternative antibiotic for bloody or severe Campylobacter enteritis when azithromycin cannot be used, though resistance now makes it second choice. Caution Not routinely first-line in children (formulary note). The only Yersinia entry in this monograph is plague (Yersinia pestis), a different organism from the yersiniosis on this row - that condition has no formulary support here. The formulary reserves this enteric regimen for severe illness or patients at high risk of invasive disease. Second-line only - Campylobacter fluoroquinolone resistance is rising; use azithromycin first when available. Tendinitis/tendon rupture, QT prolongation, and glycaemic swings are class risks. Separate from antacids, iron, calcium, or zinc by 2 hours. Egypt QUINOLOROX 500MG 10 F.C. TAB. EPCI > ROXXEN 10.00 EGP (1.00/unit) ECACIPROFLOX 500 MG 20 F.C. TABS. FUTURE PHARMACEUTICAL INDU... 27.00 EGP (1.35/unit) ELMODOXACIN 500MG 10 F.C.TAB. EGPI > SEA PHARM 20.00 EGP (2.00/unit) CIPROQUIN 500MG 10 F.C. TAB. UNIPHARMA 50.00 EGP (5.00/unit) CIPROFLOXACIN-ORGANO 500 MG 10 F.C.TABS. ORGANOPHARMA > ORGANO 63.00 EGP (6.30/unit) CIPROFAR 500MG 10 F.C.TAB. PHARCO 69.00 EGP (6.90/unit) CIPROMEGA XL 500MG 10 EXT. REL. F.C.TABS. MASH PREMIERE 48.00 EGP HEROXACIN 500MG 10 SCORED F.C. TAB. EGPI > HERO PHARM 69.00 EGP Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy. ``` --- Dawaa Reference is a reference for prescribers, not a medical device, and does not replace clinical judgement. [Privacy policy](/privacy)