Lay summary
Yersiniosis is a debilitating enteric infection predominately caused by the bacteria Yersinia enterocolitia (YE). There is currently an unexplained and increasing epidemic of yersiniosis in New Zealand (NZ), with 1,186 notified cases in 2019. We hypothesise that enhanced surveillance of notified cases together with whole genome sequence typing (WGS) will help identify key sources of yersiniosis in NZ.
We will:
- identify and quantify the sources of yersiniosis using extended questionnaires targeting notified cases and matched controls; enhanced data analysis; and WGS typing of isolates from clinical cases, food, animal and environmental sources
- investigate why Māori have lower notified rates of yersiniosis
- quantify the disease impact (severity of illness) and difference in pathogenicity between YE types
- determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of YE in NZ
- communicate study outcomes and contribute information that will improve surveillance activities and help devise control strategies to ultimately reduce yersiniosis and other enteric diseases in NZ.