Children under four most affected by potentially waterborne diseases

An updated surveillance report authored by Patrick Hipgrave examines 2001–2024 trends in notifications of campylobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Key findings include:

• Children under four years had much higher notification rates for all three diseases than any other age group.
• Campylobacteriosis notification rates continued their long-term decline, reaching the lowest rate recorded since monitoring began in 2001.
• Cryptosporidiosis notifications increased in 2024 following several outbreaks across the country, particularly in Auckland, Waikato, and Canterbury.
• People living in rural areas continued to have higher rates of campylobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis than those living in more urbanised areas during 2024.

Access the full report: Notifications of potentially waterborne diseases.