Yersinia Isolates

In 2007, MAF (formerly known as the NZFSA) approached ESR to review yersiniosis notifications as New Zealand had one of the highest reported rates of yersiniosis in the developed world. This review highlighted the lack of laboratory data (Yersinia species and biotypes of Y. enterocolitica) available for many notified yersiniosis cases. This made it difficult to determine if cases met the criteria for notification of yersiniosis in New Zealand.
 
From October 2008, laboratories were requested to send all Yersinia isolates to ESR for biotyping for a period of 6 months. This resulted in a more complete picture of the incidence of different biotypes and species being identified by laboratories throughout New Zealand.

For 2016, iosolates were routinely referred from laboratories across the country