Monthly Surveillance Report - Mar 2008
Tuesday 21st March 2023
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Key notifiable disease trends
- Brucellosis: One case of brucellosis was notified in March 2008 from Waitemata DHB. The case was a pig farmer and acquired the disease in Tonga.
- Campylobacter: 450 campylobacter cases were notified in March 2008 compared to 1145 cases notified in the same month of the previous year (Figure 1). The majority of the cases were reported from the Auckland region (160 cases, 35.6%). For the 12 month period ending 31 March 2008, Taranaki DHB recorded the highest annual incidence rate of 301.1 per 100 000 population (8 cases) compared to the national rate of 234.0 per 100 000 population. Overall, 20 cases were hospitalised. Among the cases for whom this information was recorded, 51.2% (21/41) had consumed food from a food premise, 37.5% (18/48) had contact with farm animals, 21.7% (10/46) had contact with other symptomatic people, 19.0% (11/58) had attended school, pre-school or childcare, 18.4% (7/38) had consumed non-habitual water supply, 16.7% (7/42)had faecal contact,11.8% (4/34) had consumed untreated water, 9.8% (4/41) hadrecreational water contact, and 5.0% (2/40) had contact with a sick animal during the incubation period.
- Lead absorption: 35 cases of lead absorption were notified in
March 2008 compared to 14 notified cases in the same month of the previous year
(Figure 2). The cases were from Auckland (8), Canterbury (8), Counties
Manukau (4), Northland (3), Waitemata (3), Whanganui (3), Hawke’s Bay (2),
Otago (2) and Southland (2) DHBs. The cases were aged between 1-4 years and 70+
years, with the highest number of cases in the 40-49 years and 50-59 years age
group (10 cases each).Risk factor
information was recorded for 16/35 cases. Thirteen cases were recorded as
currently working or having worked in high risk occupations. The recorded
occupations were: painter, builder, foundry worker, and lead smelter. Two cases
were recorded as living in or regularly visiting a pre-1970 constructed building,
both of which were recorded as currently having paint stripped. One case was
exposed to paint but the occupation was not recorded. It is important to note that since the 18th
June 2007 the non-occupational notifiable blood lead level has reduced from 0.72
µmol/L to 0.48 µmol/L which is likely to increase the number of notification
received when compared to historical data.
- Meningococcal disease: Based on the earliest date available, eight cases of meningococcal disease were notified during March 2008, seven (87.5%) were laboratory-confirmed. In comparison, four cases were notified the previous month, February 2008, and five cases were notified during the same month last year, March 2007. For the 12 month period ending 31 March 2008, Hawke’s Bay DHB recorded the highest incidence rate of 7.8 per 100 000 population (12 cases), followed by Tairawhiti (6.5 per 100 000, 3 cases), and Hutt (4.2 per 100 000, 6 cases). The highest age-specific incidence rate was in infants aged less than one year (30.7 per 100 000 population, 19 cases), followed by those in the 1-4 years age group (13.4 per 100 000 population, 31 cases), and those in the 5-9 years age group (5.2 per 100 000 population, 15 cases).
- Salmonellosis: 138 cases of salmonellosis were notified in March 2008 compared to 167 notified cases in the same month of the previous year. The highest numbers of cases were reported from Canterbury (18), Nelson Marlborough (16), Otago (16), and Waitemata (14) DHBs. Nine cases were hospitalised. The serotype involved was identified for 135 of the cases. The dominant serotypes were: Salmonella Infantis (20 cases), S. Mbandaka (13), S. Typhimurium phage type 1 (10), S. Typhimurium phage type 160 (9), S. Typhimurium phage type 156 (8), and S. Typhimurium phage type 101 (7).
- Taeniasis: Two cases of taeniasis were notified in March 2008. The cases were in the 30-39 years age group from Capital and Coast DHB.It is thought that the disease was contracted by eating beef and pork 2-3 years ago while in Vietnam.
- Toxic shellfish poisoning: One suspect case of toxic
shellfish poisoning was notified in March 2008.The case was in the 50-59 years age group from Nelson Marlborough DHB,
who ate steamed mussels collected from Wainui
Bay, Golden Bay.
The type of toxic shellfish poisoning was
unspecified.
- VTEC/STEC: 13 cases of VTEC/STEC were notified in March 2008 compared to 12 notified cases in the same month of the previous year. The cases were reported from Northland (2), Waitemata (2), Counties Manukau (2), Waikato (2), Lakes (2), Capital and Coast (1), South Canterbury (1), and Otago (1) DHBs. Five cases were hospitalised. The highest number of cases were in the less than five years age group (5) and the 40-49 years age group (3).The serotype involved was identified for all cases, 12 as VTEC O157 and one as VTEC non-O157.One case in the 1-4 years age group had haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS).
Note: Click on the document links below to open. These documents are in PDF format. You will need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them.
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Ph: +64 4 914 0700 Fax: +64 4 914 0770 Email: survqueries@esr.cri.nz |
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