The University of Vermont College of Medicine has been chosen as the single participating academic medical center in the nation to collaborate with the Navy Medical Research Center (NMRC) and Denmark-based ACE BioSciences in the development and evaluation of a new vaccine against one of the most common food-borne bacteria, Campylobacter. The first study in this multi-part collaboration is a new clinical trial designed to define the illness caused by this bacterium in healthy volunteers. Information from this work will be used to confirm the effectiveness of a new Campylobacter vaccine.

This Campylobacter research initiative is timely in the face of recent food-borne outbreaks due to similar bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli. Campylobacter infections account for more than two million cases of food-borne illness and up to 100 deaths in the United States each year, as well as $1.5 to 1.8 billion in lost productivity. Infections from Campylobacter, usually occurring after consumption of inadequately cooked chicken, are frequently the most common cause of food-borne disease in the U.S. This species of bacteria also have a high degree of antibiotic resistance, which has increased the importance of vaccine development to prevent this infection. In the U.S., infections with Campylobacter are most common in young children, travelers, and military personnel, but infection is also extremely common in less developed nations.

“Our team at UVM has been fortunate to pair our clinical and laboratory expertise with the NMRC researchers’ extensive experience with the Campylobacter bacteria,” said Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine at UVM, who is the principal investigator on the Campylobacter studies. “We are looking forward to this continued collaboration. We are also excited to have the opportunity to work with talented professionals at the National Institutes of Health-funded General Clinical Research Center and ACE BioSciences to design and perform this important work.”

UVM will enroll between 48 and 56 participants in the first Campylobacter trial, which involves a screening period and a carefully monitored nine-day inpatient stay. Men and women between the ages of 18 and 50, who are in general good health with no significant medical illnesses, are eligible to volunteer. Financial compensation for participation in the trial is provided. Volunteers interested in more information about the study can contact Cathy Larsson, UVM study coordinator, at 802-656-0013 or via email at cathy.larsson@uvm.edu.

In addition to Kirkpatrick, other faculty members involved in this trial include Caroline Lyon, M.D., M.P.H., instructor in medicine and 2002 UVM College of Medicine alumna; Christopher Huston, M.D., assistant professor of medicine; and Ann Finger, M.D., family medicine clinician at Fletcher Allen Health Care.