In August 2012, Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS) received a report of Campylobacter jejuni infection diagnosed in two co-workers. The two men suspected a restaurant meal they had shared on August 7, but onset of symptoms was too soon after the meal. Interviews with the men about other shared exposures revealed that on August 5, the two men had worked on an outdoor demolition project at a hobby farm owned by one of the men. Most of the animals on the farm were the responsibility of the owner's three children. The owner reported that he typically spent about 1 hour per day in contact with the animals' environment and less than one hour per day in direct contact with the animals. He reported that he frequently, but not always, washed his hands with soap and water after working/doing chores and before eating.

On August 5, the two men worked on an outdoor demolition project near the animal barn. They walked through the barn to look at the animals and may have touched fences and other parts of the animals' environment but denied direct contact with the animals. The farm owner's co-worker reported that he did not wash his hands prior to having a sandwich for lunch that day inside the home. The owner's children helped with the demolition project but did not become ill.

Investigators concluded that the outbreak was associated with working on the farm that included chickens and turkeys. The suspected route of transmission was via contact with the animals' environment. Lack of handwashing prior to eating after contacting the animals' environment likely contributed to at least one infection.