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

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

Answer: (B)

Campylobacter fetus is the species linked to invasive infections in debilitated or immunocompromised patients, leading to septicemia, septic arthritis, meningitis, and liver involvement with jaundice and hepatomegaly, sometimes with thrombophlebitis. This pattern reflects the organism’s ability to disseminate from the gut into the bloodstream and other sites, a trait that sets it apart from other Campylobacter species that typically cause localized gastroenteritis. The other organisms listed are more commonly associated with intestinal illness rather than systemic spread in vulnerable hosts, so they don’t fit the described clinical picture as well as Campylobacter fetus.