Impact of the COVID-19 related border restrictions on influenza and other common respiratory viral infections in New Zealand.

Background: New Zealand's (NZ) complete absence of community transmission of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) after May 2020, likely due to COVID-19 elimination measures, provided a rare opportunity to assess the impact of border restrictions on common respiratory viral infections over the ensuing 2 years.

Methods: We collected the data from multiple surveillance systems, including hospital-based severe acute respiratory infection surveillance, SHIVERS-II, -III and -IV community cohorts for acute respiratory infection (ARI) surveillance, HealthStat sentinel general practice (GP) based influenza-like illness surveillance and SHIVERS-V sentinel GP-based ARI surveillance, SHIVERS-V traveller ARI surveillance and laboratory-based surveillance. We described the data on influenza, RSV and other respiratory viral infections in NZ before, during and after various stages of the COVID related border restrictions.

Keeping up with COVID: identification of New Zealand's earliest known cluster of COVID-19 cases.

We report the earliest known cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infection so far reported, which occurred in New Zealand in late February 2020. The cluster includes one confirmed and five probable cases. The cluster was identified while investigating a weak positive nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that was returned by a male in his 60s in September 2020.

Impact of the COVID-19 nonpharmaceutical interventions on influenza and other respiratory viral infections in New Zealand.

Stringent nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns and border closures are not currently recommended for pandemic influenza control. New Zealand used these NPIs to eliminate coronavirus disease 2019 during its first wave. Using multiple surveillance systems, we observed a parallel and unprecedented reduction of influenza and other respiratory viral infections in 2020.

Impact of the COVID-19 nonpharmaceutical interventions on influenza and other respiratory viral infections in New Zealand.

Stringent nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns and border closures are not currently recommended for pandemic influenza control. New Zealand used these NPIs to eliminate coronavirus disease 2019 during its first wave. Using multiple surveillance systems, we observed a parallel and unprecedented reduction of influenza and other respiratory viral infections in 2020.

Neonatal conjunctivitis in the New Zealand Midland region.

Aims: To assess the incidence of chlamydial and gonorrhoeal neonatal conjunctivitis (CON and GON), across six district health boards in the greater Midland region of New Zealand.

Methods: All positive nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) eye swabs for Chlamydia trachomatis and NAAT and bacterial eye swabs for Neisseria gonorrhoeae in infants under one year of age were retrieved from three laboratories from 2013-2016. Incidence density rates were calculated using births information from Statistics New Zealand.

First cases of KPC-type carbapenemase-producing bacteria in patients in New Zealand hospitals.

The emergence and global spread of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs) is a significant public health problem. Between October 2010 and July 2013, KPC-producing K. pneumoniae were isolated from four patients in New Zealand hospitals.

Unusually virulent coagulase-negative Staphylococcus lugdunensis is frequently associated with infective endocarditis: a Waikato series of patients.

Background: Staphylococcus lugdunensis, a species of coagulase-negative staphylococci is associated with a wide variety of infections ranging from mild skin and soft tissue infections to serious infections which include brain abscess, chronic osteomyelitis and infective endocarditis. The aim of this study was to review cases of S. lugdunensis bacteraemia isolated from a New Zealand tertiary institution and describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of the patients.

Rat-bite fever: a cautionary tale.

We present the first ever report of streptobacillary rat-bite fever in New Zealand. The patient was a young man who was admitted with systemic sepsis. He presented with a high fever, hypotension, and tender axillary lymphadenopathy.