Pathogen-specific risk of reactive arthritis from bacterial causes of foodborne illness

Objective. Reactive arthritis (ReA) is a sequelae of common bacterial infections of acute gastro-nteritis. We assessed incidence of ReA following Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, or Yersinia infection utilizing a US Department of Defense medical database. Methods. Subjects with acute gastroenteritis attributed to these pathogens were matched with ≥ unexposed subjects. Medical history was analyzed for 6 months postinfection to assess for incident Re A. Results. A total of 1753 cases of gastroenteritis were identified. ReA incidence ranged from 0 to 4 per 100,000 person-years. Conclusion. These data are consistent with prior studies and highlight the need for continued primary prevention efforts. The Journal of Rheumatology