About this meeting

Given that CHRO2021 has been cancelled (http://chro.bomeeting.net/newsinfo/795), and there has not been a CampyUK since 2014 (Liverpool); a group of Campylobacter researchers felt that there should be a “virtual conference” so we can bring together the Campylobacter scientific community together and share our science. CampyUK is historically an ad hoc conference, often in the years between a CHRO. For this particular CampyUK, we felt it was a great opportunity to expand CampyUK globally, especially as this conference will be held virtually. The conference is open to anyone that is interested.

The conference is free and we are aiming to translate the experience including social and networking aspects into a virtual meeting.

There will five sessions from 8th - 10th of September. Conscious of different time zones, we have tried to accommodate as many regions as possible (apologies if there are some late nights!).

The official hashtag is #campyuk

Topics at this meeting

Topics at this meeting, include but are not limited to:

• Is it the song or the singer - what shapes host adaptation in Campylobacter?
• Pathogenicity, immunology, virulence factors and AMR
• Trends in Campylobacter epidemiology and public health
• Survival and Application

Host adaptation in Campylobacter

In this session we will consider different examples of host adaptation and the variety in selection pressures that drive host-adaptation. Within the genus Campylobacter there are lineages that inhabit both the gut of different animals; and different niches within a single animal. The maintenance of these lineages as discrete entities depends on barriers to genetic exchange, which can be physical - with lineages inhabiting different niches, or functional - with clear phenotypic advantages. By considering genes (songs), rather than lineages (singers) as units of selection, can we identify barriers to recombination?

Pathogenesis of Campylobacter

Presentations can be related to genes that encode for proteins that are involved in virulence/pathogenicity, stress response, adhesion, invasion, intracellular survival and secreted effectors. Presentations can also discuss key structures such as the flagella, Type VI Secretion System, Outer Membrane Vesicles and the capsule to name a few. The session will also consider aspects of immunity, whether relating to host immune response to Campylobacter infection, inflammation, mechanisms of immune avoidance and novel animal models to study Campylobacter infection. The session will also incorporate aspects of AMR linked to Campylobacter.

Trends in Campylobacter epidemiology and public health

In this session we will consider trends in transmission, changing approaches to contemporary clinical microbiology and insights into public health initiatives across the globe. The focus of this session is trends over time, including surveillance and outbreak reports, genomic approaches to Campylobacter investigations and the emergence of species or lineages. We encourage presentations highlighting new approaches to detection, source attribution, outbreak investigations and antimicrobial resistance all from a one health epidemiological perspective.

Survival and application

In this session we will explore control and prevention of Campylobacter, survival in the host or the environment and how the bacteria interacts with the host. Presentations can be on any method or technology that is used to control Campylobacter on farm and during processing, including but not limited to vaccines, dietary additives, biosecurity and interventions during processing including washes or chilling. Presentations on how Campylobacter survive in the environment, host or during processing along with host-pathogen interactions are also welcomed.