CAMPYLOBACTER

noun (Health and Fitness) A bacterium occurring in unpasteurized dairy produce and other everyday foods and capable of causing food poisoning in humans. Etymology: The bacterium takes its name from the genus name Campylobacter, which in turn is formed from a Greek word kampulos 'bent, twisted' (the bacteria in this family being twisted or spiral in shape) and the first two syllables of bacterium. History and Usage: Campylobacter is an important cause of non-fatal cases of food poisoning. The word, first used in the early seventies, would probably have remained known only to bacteriologists had it not been for public interest in--and concern about--food safety in the UK in 1989-90. 60 per cent of all poultry carcasses were infected with either salmonella or campylobacter. The Times 2 Mar. 1990, p. 2