McNicholas A M, Bates M, Kiddle E, Wright J
Epidemiology Group, Health Communicable Disease Centre, Porirua.
N Z Med J. 1995 Nov 10;108(1011):459-61.
To evaluate the contribution of changing procedures in microbiology laboratories over the previous 5 years to the increase in campylobacteriosis notifications. To assess whether regional differences in notification rates are due to variations in laboratory procedures.
A questionnaire was sent to 69 New Zealand medical laboratories, requesting data on their identification procedures for enteric pathogens, including campylobacter.
Changes over the last 5 years in laboratory techniques were insufficient to account for a marked increase in campylobacter isolations. On the basis of data provided by 12 laboratories, the number of specimens that grew campylobacter increased by 49% between 1992 and 1993. Differences in laboratory methods do not explain regional differences in campylobacter notification rates.
Changes in laboratory methodologies over the last 5 years do not appear to account for the recent national increase in campylobacteriosis notifications.
