Grant: Project Grant

Campylobacteriosis is an infection of the gut caused by the Campylobacter bacteria. It is characterized by abdominal cramps, pain, fever, and watery, sometimes bloody, diarrhea. It is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in Canada. It is estimated that up to 300,000 Canadians are infected by Campylobacter annually. Some of them will develop severe lifelong sequelae. In addition, this infectious disease generates high costs to the food industry through quality controls and to society through medical costs and productivity losses. Campylobacteriosis is seasonal; it occurs predominantly in summer for unclear reasons. Environmental factors, agricultural activities and human behaviours are likely contributors to the seasonal increase of campylobacteriosis. In Canada, climate changes will lead to warmer, longer summers and milder, shorter winters. Current seasonality of campylobacteriosis strongly suggests that its peak will be amplified over the next decades along with climate change and last longer, thus increasing the number of people infected. The objective of this project is to develop a mathematical model to predict campylobacteriosis long-term temporal trends in Canada. Once developed, our model could be used to implement effective prevention and intervention programs and strategies.