Vibrio infections in Aotearoa New Zealand (1998-2024) and the effect of current disease reporting structures.

AIM: We aimed to describe the occurrence and characteristics of vibriosis in Aotearoa New Zealand and the knowledge gaps caused by current disease reporting structures.

METHOD: Data on infections involving Vibrio spp. (vibriosis) were collated from New Zealand databases recording notifiable diseases, clinical diagnostic results, hospitalisations and deaths (1998-2024). These data were examined for trends and the effects of data collection protocols.

RESULTS

V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus and non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae were the most common Vibrio spp. reported from gastroenteritis cases and soft tissue infections. Some infections progressed to severe health conditions, including those due to V. vulnificus. The results indicated demographic and clinical trends, but further insights were limited by the lack of comprehensive case data (including exposure information), changes to data generation and collection over time and a decentralised reporting structure.

CONCLUSION

Surveillance that captures all infections involving Vibrio spp. and associated metadata would make it possible to establish a baseline disease profile, prioritise health interventions and predict future epidemiological trends.