Officials in New Zealand have reported progress on a target to reduce domestic foodborne Campylobacter infections in the country.
A report prepared by the Institute of Environmental and Scientific Research (ESR) found that the rate of New Zealand-acquired foodborne illness caused by Campylobacter has fallen from 88 to 77 cases per 100,000 population from 2020 to 2023.
In 2020, a target was set to reduce the rate to 70 cases per 100,000 by the end of 2024. Campylobacter is the country’s most common foodborne illness.
“New Zealand Food Safety has made reducing campylobacteriosis rates a key priority, and we’ve made great strides in recent years. Infection rates more than halved between 2006 and 2020,” said Vincent Arbuckle, New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general.
More travel-related infections
In 2023, the number of campylobacteriosis notifications was slightly more than in 2022, as overseas travel cases increased. This resulted in a net decrease in domestically acquired foodborne campylobacteriosis rate from 81 cases in 2022 to 77 in 2023.
In 2023, 6,089 Campylobacter cases were recorded. However, this number drops to 4,010 when using the estimates for domestically acquired foodborne infections. The data comes from EpiSurv, the notifiable disease surveillance system, and the Ministry of Health’s database on separate hospitalizations.
In total, 989 people were hospitalized. No cases were recorded with campylobacteriosis as the primary cause of death.
The notifications and hospitalized cases rates were higher for males than females. The monthly number of alerts ranged from 328 cases in April to 763 in January.
The highest age-specific notification rate was reported for children in the 1—to 4-year-old group, and the highest hospitalized case rate was for people aged 70 and over.
New Zealand has a Campylobacter Action Plan that mainly focuses on steps to reduce levels through the poultry food chain. According to officials, the poultry industry has improved processing practices, reducing the proportion of birds with detectable levels of Campylobacter at the end of primary processing.
Outbreak data
The higher rate of campylobacteriosis in rural compared with urban areas in 2022 and 2023 suggests risk factors other than food, such as direct contact with farm animals or exposure to contaminated water, may assume greater importance as sources of infection.
Consumer awareness remains an important part of the effort, said Arbuckle.
“About half of all foodborne illness is caused at home. These illnesses can be prevented with good food preparation techniques and proper cooking and storage. “While it is rewarding to see campylobacteriosis rates falling, there is more work. The symptoms of campylobacteriosis can be unpleasant for healthy adults, and the consequences for the young and people over 65 can be serious.”
There were 15 campylobacteriosis outbreak notices in EpiSurv, with 124 cases and 11 hospitalizations. Two epidemics, with 30 cases, were due to infection overseas. Six outbreaks, with 38 cases and two hospitalizations, had food as a possible mode of transmission.
Two raw milk outbreaks had five patients. Undercooked chicken or pork at a BBQ affected seven people. Two people fell ill after eating chicken liver parfait. Two other outbreaks, 24 of which were sick, were linked to chicken liver pâté.
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