Volume 8, Number 9—September 2002 A Case-Case Comparison of
Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni Infection: A Tool
for Generating Hypotheses Preventing campylobacteriosis depends
on a thorough understanding of its epidemiology. We used case-
case analysis to compare cases of Campylobacter coli infection
with cases of C. jejuni infection, to generate hypotheses for
infection from standardized, population-based sentinel
surveillance information in England and Wales. Persons with C.
coli infection were more likely to have drunk bottled water than
were those with C. jejuni infection and, in general, were more
likely to have eaten pâté. Important differences in exposures
were identified for these two Campylobacter species. Exposures
that are a risk for infection for both comparison groups might
not be identified or might be underestimated by case-case
analysis. Similarly, the magnitude or direction of population
risk cannot be assessed accurately. Nevertheless, our findings
suggest that case-control studies