Media release: Call for action to end New Zealand’s severe Campylobacter epidemic from fresh chicken

New analysis from public health experts highlights the need for action to reduce the heavy toll of Campylobacter infection in Aotearoa New Zealand, an illness that continues to affect tens of thousands of New Zealanders each year.

Despite a successful regulatory response in 2007 that halved disease rates in just a few months, this epidemic has continued to have a severe effect on human health and appears to be increasing. Hospitalisation rates for Campylobacter infection have risen by nearly 70% over the past 17 years. The majority (an estimated 77%) of these infections are from contaminated fresh chicken meat.

The latest Public Health Communication Centre Briefing estimates that since 2008, contaminated chicken in NZ has caused more than 600,000 symptomatic illnesses, over 9,000 hospitalisations, at least 60 deaths, and around $1.4 billion in economic costs.

Lead author, University of Otago Professor Michael Baker, says the evidence makes a very strong case for upgrading New Zealand’s food safety measures.

“Campylobacter from fresh chicken meat is by far NZ’s largest and most prolonged common source epidemic. Its impact is equivalent to one Havelock North Campylobacter outbreak every three months. As with Havelock North, we know where it's coming from and how to stop it, we just need the will to act,” says Professor Baker.

The Briefing recommends several steps by industry, regulators and Government to rapidly lower the risk of infection from fresh chicken meat, including:

• Introducing limits on the allowable levels of Campylobacter on fresh chicken for sale, which may mean diverting more contaminated product into safer forms, such as frozen or pre-cooked chicken.
• Introducing mandatory labelling on all fresh chicken to inform consumers about the risk of infection and how to reduce it.
• Re-establishing an independent food safety regulator to oversee comprehensive control measures to largely eliminate human infections from contaminated chicken. The authors cite the success of previous interventions under the former NZ Food Safety Authority.

Professor Baker notes that NZ is well placed to act on this issue as all the chicken we consume is produced in this country.

“We can use the tools we know work to reduce foodborne disease. These are achievable, cost-effective changes that could rapidly reduce the number of New Zealanders getting sick each day because of contaminated fresh chicken.”

The authors also suggest that Government consider a formal review of how this serious and long-standing issue has been managed and to ensure action to finally end this preventable epidemic. 

Co-author Professor Nick Wilson notes that this analysis has used published data and reports that are fully available to the food science sector, regulators and industry. 

“It seems remarkable that an epidemic of this scale, impact (including death and disability for some), and cost has been allowed to continue unchecked for so long”.

“This neglect is particularly alarming since this epidemic has a single dominant source, and the tap could have been turned off rapidly if any of multiple governments had chosen to tighten existing regulations”.