Acute gastroenteritis associated with seafood privately imported from the Pacific Islands

To investigate a potential link between consumption of food privately imported from the Pacific Islands and presentation with acute gastroenteritis to Middlemore Hospital Emergency Department.

This was a three month prospective observational case study that included patients aged greater than fifteen years presenting with acute gastroenteritis and a history of food privately imported from the Pacific Islands. Data included case demographics, symptoms, island of food origin and food type. Stool and blood samples were collected and analysed.

Of 358 patients who presented to Middlemore Emergency Department during the study period with gastroenteritis, 34 (9.4%) had a history of consumption of food privately imported from the Pacific Islands. The seafood came from Tonga (23 cases), Samoa (10 cases) or Niue (1 case). The implicated seafood was shellfish (28 cases), jellyfish (2 cases), fish intestine (2 cases), seaweed or seaslug (1 case each). Fourteen patients (41%) provided stool samples; all were culture positive for Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VPH).

This case series confirms a link between acute VPH gastroenteritis and consumption of seafood privately imported from the Pacific Islands. A number of public health initiatives to reduce the burden of VPH gastroenteritis among Auckland's Pacific Islanders have commenced. The Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Forestry are considering tighter controls or banning food privately imported from the Pacific Islands.