The Campylobacter species noted to produce septicemia, septic arthritis, meningitis, jaundice with hepatomegaly, and thrombophlebitis in debilitated patients is which?

• A. C coli
• B. C fetus
• C. C lari
• D. C sputorum

Answer: (B)

Campylobacter fetus is the species most often linked to invasive disease in debilitated or elderly patients, producing septicemia and metastatic infections such as septic arthritis, meningitis, and even hepatobiliary involvement like jaundice with hepatomegaly and sometimes vascular issues like thrombophlebitis. The reason lies in its ability to survive in the bloodstream and seed distant sites, aided by its surface layer proteins that resist complement-mediated killing and phagocytosis. While other Campylobacter species mainly cause gastroenteritis in otherwise healthy individuals, they are less typically associated with bacteremia and meningitis, making Campylobacter fetus the best explanation for the described systemic pattern.