MPI Accuses Researchers of Scaremongering Over Campylobacter Outbreaks in New Zealand

New Zealand is facing a growing public health crisis as researchers warn that hospitalizations and deaths from campylobacter infections have surged dramatically over the past 17 years. A new analysis from the Public Health Communication Centre (PHCC) reveals that hospitalization rates for campylobacter infections have increased by nearly 70 percent since 2008, with contaminated chicken meat remaining the primary source of infection. The study also highlights that more than 600,000 symptomatic illnesses, over 9,000 hospitalizations, at least 60 deaths, and approximately $1.4 billion in economic losses have been attributed to the issue since 2008.

Professor Michael Baker, the lead author of the PHCC report and a senior researcher at the University of Otago, emphasized the severity of the situation. He argued that the rise in infections is a