Campylobacter data 2013 to 2022
Updated 4 April 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/campylobacter-infection-annual-data/campylobacter-data-2013-to-2022
Main points for 2022
The 2022 report shows that:
- the number of reported Campylobacter cases in England decreased from 55,642 cases in 2021 to 54,461 cases in 2022, a decrease of 1,181 cases
- the region that reported the highest number of Campylobacter laboratory reports was the South East with 9,540 reports; however, the region with the highest rate per 100,000 population was the North East with 133.3 per 100,000.
- overall, 54% of Campylobacter laboratory-confirmed cases in England were male
- the age group with the highest number of laboratory reports was the 50 to 59 year old age category
- consistent with previous years’ 5-year median, in 2022 Campylobacter reporting peaked in the month of June
- species was only reported for 23% of laboratory reports, the majority of which were Campylobacter jejuni (20% of all cases)
Campylobacter laboratory data 2013 to 2022
All data presented in this report is correct as of 1 December 2023. This report covers all Campylobacter species in England.
Population and deaths data was sourced from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Mid-year population estimates for the relevant year for England were used to provide denominators for the calculation of rates. All rates are calculated as per 100,000 population.
COVID-19 pandemic
During 2020 it is likely that the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and subsequent non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented to control COVID-19 transmission affected notifications of Campylobacter infections to national surveillance in several ways. These include, but are not limited to, changes which may have impacted ascertainment (for example, changes in healthcare seeking behaviour, access to health care, availability, or capacity of testing and so on) as well as changes which likely impacted incidence (for example, limited foreign travel, closure of hospitality venues and attractions or behavioural changes around food consumption and so on) which will have also varied over time. Therefore, trends presented in this report should be interpreted with caution and 2020 data (the year a notable impact on Campylobacter reporting to national surveillance was observed) is excluded when 5-year medians are calculated.
Annual data 2013 to 2022
Table 1 and Figure 1 show the trend of Campylobacter laboratory reports in England from 2013 to 2022.
Figure 1. Annual laboratory reports of Campylobacter in England from 2013 to 2022
Table 1. Annual laboratory reports of Campylobacter in England from 2013 to 2022
| Year | Number of laboratory reports | Laboratory reports per 100,000 population |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 55,614 | 103.3 |
| 2014 | 58,496 | 107.7 |
| 2015 | 51,817 | 94.6 |
| 2016 | 49,077 | 88.8 |
| 2017 | 52,818 | 95.0 |
| 2018 | 56,278 | 100.5 |
| 2019 | 56,439 | 100.3 |
| 2020 | 44,638 | 78.9 |
| 2021 | 55,642 | 98.4 |
| 2022 | 54,461 | 96.3 |
Regional data in 2022
Table 2 displays the number of Campylobacter laboratory reports per region in 2022. Regional classification is based on place of residence of reported cases and classified using NUTS1 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, level 1) codes.
Table 2. Regional distribution of laboratory reports of Campylobacter in England 2022
| Region | Laboratory reports | Laboratory reports per 100,000 population |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 4,629 | 94.9 |
| East of England | 5,130 | 80.8 |
| London | 5,533 | 62.9 |
| North East | 3,528 | 133.3 |
| North West | 7,322 | 98.6 |
| South East | 9,540 | 102.6 |
| South West | 6,669 | 116.7 |
| West Midlands | 5,615 | 94.3 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 6,495 | 118.5 |
Age and sex distribution in 2022
Figure 2 shows the age and sex distribution of Campylobacter laboratory reports in England during 2022. For this graph, 90 laboratory reports were excluded where case age or sex was unknown. Overall, 54% of reported cases were male and the most affected age group was the 50 to 59 year old age category, accounting for 15% of total laboratory reports.
Figure 2. Age and sex distribution of laboratory reports of Campylobacter in England in 2022 (n=54,371)
Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in 2022
Table 3 displays the number of Campylobacter cases of Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) decile. The deprivation level of an area (IMD decile) was mapped to each case using patient home postcode. Valid postcodes were unavailable for 803 cases so could not be matched to IMD decile.
Table 3. Number of Campylobacter cases per IMD decile in England 2022
| Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) deciles | Total number of cases (%) |
|---|---|
| 1 (Most deprived) | 4,301 (8) |
| 2 | 4,615 (8) |
| 3 | 4,789 (9) |
| 4 | 5,306 (10) |
| 5 | 5,582 (10) |
| 6 | 5,759 (11) |
| 7 | 5,860 (11) |
| 8 | 5,867 (11) |
| 9 | 5,893 (11) |
| 10 (Least deprived) | 5,686 (10) |
| Unknown | 803 (1) |
| Total | 5,4461 |
Seasonal variation in 2022
Figure 3 shows the seasonal trend of laboratory reporting for Campylobacter in England during 2022 by month. In 2022, the number of laboratory reports per month broadly followed the same trend as the median of the previous 5 years, excluding 2020 (2016 to 2019 and 2021), with peak reporting in June.
Figure 3. Seasonality of laboratory reports of all Campylobacter species in England in 2022
Campylobacter typing in 2022
In 2022, 23% of Campylobacter samples (12,365) in England were speciated by frontline laboratories. The majority of the speciated Campylobacter samples were Campylobacter jejuni, 20.3% (11,078) followed by Campylobacter coli, 2.3% (1,243).
Foodborne outbreak data in 2022
In 2022, there was one Campylobacter outbreak reported to national surveillance.
Table 4. Foodborne outbreaks of Campylobacter reported in England [note 1] in 2022.
| Agent | Total affected | Laboratory confirmed | Reported hospitalisations [note 2] | Reported deaths [note 2] | Setting | Food vehicle description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campylobacter jejuni | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Restaurant, café, pub, hotel or catering service | Chicken |
[Note 1] Number of cases affected, and number laboratory confirmed is for cases resident in England.
[Note 2] Clinical outcome is not known for all cases and the data reported represents cases who have hospitalisations or deaths reported to national surveillance.
Conclusions
Overall, in 2022 the number of Campylobacter laboratory reports were similar to that seen in previous years (excluding 2020; data from 2020 should be interpreted with caution given the multi-factorial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic). Similar to 2021, the highest number of laboratory-confirmed cases were in the South East, and June was the peak month for reported cases. More male cases were reported than female cases with the 50 to 59 year olds being the most affected age group. A total of 23% of isolates were tested to the species level at frontline laboratories, and the majority of these were Campylobacter jejuni.
One outbreak of Campylobacter was reported to national surveillance in 2022, comprising 13 cases (4 of whom were laboratory confirmed), and associated with the consumption of chicken.
Data sources
This report was produced using data derived from 2 data sources. The first is the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS). This is a live laboratory reporting system therefore numbers are subject to change. In 2014 UKHSA’s predecessor, Public Health England (PHE) upgraded the laboratory reporting system so direct comparisons between data reported from the previous system (LabBase2) and the new system (SGSS) requires cautious interpretation.
The second data source is the Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) (GIFSOH) division’s eFOSS (electronic foodborne and non-foodborne outbreak surveillance system), which is also a live laboratory reporting system and therefore numbers are subject to change.
Data caveats
This report was produced using laboratory data for England only, therefore the number of Campylobacter laboratory reports published in previous reports which include data from other UK countries will be higher than those included in this report.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to:
- the microbiologists and local authorities, health protection and environmental health specialists who have contributed data and reports to national surveillance systems, including those who have investigated and reported outbreaks to the electronic foodborne and non-foodborne gastrointestinal outbreak surveillance system (eFOSS)
- the epidemiologists and information officers who have worked on the national surveillance of intestinal infectious diseases
- colleagues in the Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit (GBRU) for providing the Reference Laboratory Services and laboratory surveillance functions and expertise
- UKHSA (formerly PHE) Information Management Department for maintenance and quality assurance of UKHSA national surveillance databases used for gastrointestinal infections (GI) pathogen surveillance at the national level
- UKHSA Local Public Health Laboratories and Food Water and Environmental Microbiology Services for providing a surveillance function for GI pathogens and testing of food and environmental samples routinely and during outbreak investigations
Prepared by the Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) Division, UKHSA.
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