Spatio-temporal patterns of campylobacter contamination in freshwaters: results from the Taieri and Motueka catchments

Abstract

New Zealand has a history of rapid ecosystem change since the arrival of humans, resulting in a predominantly agricultural landscape. Non-point source pollution from pastoral land use causes microbial contamination of freshwaters and compromises their suitability for contact recreation. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of campylobacteriosis in the developed world (334 cases per 100,000 people), yet only a few surveys for Campylobacter in freshwaters have been carried out. This study investigates the influence of land use and other environmental variables on spatio-temporal variation in Campylobacter concentrations in two distinct river catchments (the Taieri and Motueka) of the South Island, New Zealand.