Injury and recovery in freeze- or heat-damaged Campylobacter jejuni

When exposed to freezing or heat, cells of Campylobacter jejuni were initially sensitized to rifampicin and, with longer exposures, subsequently unable to grow on nutrient or blood agar. Repair of all lesions occurred within 2 h at 37°C while at 43°C organisms were only able to repair the presumably less severe injury caused by short exposures to high or low temperature.