About 30 people were recently sickened by Campylobacter at Blair Academy, reports the New Jersey Herald. The school is a private boarding and day school for high school students located in Blairstown, NJ. “In mid-November, our health center saw an increased incidence of gastrointestinal-related illness and we alerted all parents by email on November 20 prior to students leaving campus for Thanksgiving break,” Suzy Logan, a spokesperson for the school, told the newspaper in an emailed statement. “Late that weekend, we found out that several of those who experienced symptoms tested positive for Campylobacter. Upon receiving confirmation of several positive results, our director of health services informed the parents of those affected by phone and updated our entire parent body by email the next day.” Logan said all affected students have recovered. The source of the illnesses has not yet been identified. Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. Most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism. The diarrhea may be bloody and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts about one week. Some infected persons do not have any symptoms. In persons with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes a serious life-threatening infection. Campylobacter is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States. Most cases occur as isolated, sporadic events, not as part of recognized outbreaks. Most cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry meat or from cross-contamination of other foods by these items. Outbreaks of Campylobacter have most often been associated with unpasteurized dairy products, contaminated water, poultry, and produce. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)