| Year | Epidemic |
|---|---|
| 1817–20 | Influenza reported among Māori on coasts of Foveaux Strait |
| 1835 | Measles reported among Māori in South Island whaling stations |
| 1838–39 | ‘Rewha-rewha’ (probably influenza) in Bay of Islands and Mercury Bay |
| 1852–53 | Influenza widespread |
| 1858 | Measles prevalent |
| 1863–64 | Scarlet fever in Dunedin: 119 deaths |
| 1872–75 | Diphtheria prevalent in Christchurch |
| 1872 | Smallpox outbreak in Auckland from SS Nebraska: 7 cases, 3 deaths |
| 1873 | Pertussis (whooping cough): 356 deaths across New Zealand |
| 1874 | Typhoid at Cromwell: 110 cases, 20 deaths |
| 1874–75 | |
| Measles: 344 deaths across New Zealand | |
| Diphtheria: 481 deaths across New Zealand | |
| 1875 | |
| Typhoid widespread in towns and cities: 323 deaths (worst year) | |
| Tuberculosis: 339 deaths across New Zealand | |
| 1876–98 | Typhoid deaths average 143 annually across New Zealand |
| 1876–77 | Scarlet fever deaths: 834 across New Zealand |
| 1881–82 | |
| Measles widespread in Otago and Canterbury: 199 deaths across New Zealand | |
| Scarlet fever: 257 deaths across New Zealand | |
| Diphtheria in Christchurch: 132 cases, 27 deaths; 216 deaths across New Zealand | |
| 1883–84 | |
| Typhoid outbreak in Northland | |
| Pertussis widespread: 24 deaths in Auckland, 246 deaths across New Zealand | |
| 1887 | Measles in Whanganui |
| 1888 | |
| Typhoid in Auckland | |
| Diphtheria: 219 deaths across New Zealand | |
| 1890–94 | Influenza pandemic: 1,393 deaths registered |
| 1890 | Typhoid in Nelson: 48 cases, 5 deaths |
| 1891 | Pertussis in Wellington: 24 deaths, 242 deaths across New Zealand |
| 1892 | Diphtheria prevalent: 281 deaths across New Zealand (worst year) |
| 1893 | |
| Measles in Auckland: 511 deaths across New Zealand | |
| Typhoid in Wellington: 400 cases, 35 deaths | |
| 1897–98 | Measles outbreak among East Cape Māori |
| 1898–99 | Influenza prevalent: 219 deaths across New Zealand; suspected rubella epidemic |
| 1900–11 | Plague in Auckland: 9 deaths |
| 1902–03 | |
| Scarlet fever: 209 deaths across New Zealand | |
| Measles: 277 deaths across New Zealand | |
| 1907 | Pertussis: 307 deaths across New Zealand (last major outbreak) |
| 1911 | Typhoid prevalent in Māori districts |
| 1913 | Smallpox in Northland: 2,000 cases, 55 deaths (last major outbreak in New Zealand) |
| 1916 | Polio: 123 deaths across New Zealand, many in military camps |
| 1917 | Diphtheria: 240 deaths across New Zealand |
| 1918 | Influenza pandemic: at least 500,000 cases, nearly 9,000 deaths across New Zealand. European death rate 5.8 per 1,000; Māori death rate nearly 50 per 1,000 |
| 1920–21 | Measles prevalent |
| 1921–22 | Meningitis prevalent |
| 1925 | Polio: 175 deaths across New Zealand |
| 1929 | Influenza prevalent: 297 deaths across New Zealand |
| 1929–30 | Diphtheria prevalent: 150 deaths across New Zealand |
| 1936–37 | Typhoid in Māori districts |
| 1937 | Polio: 39 deaths |
| 1938 | Measles: 163 European deaths, 212 Māori |
| 1939 | Suspected rubella epidemic |
| 1941–42 | |
| Diphtheria prevalent | |
| Pertussis: 72 deaths across New Zealand | |
| 1944–45 | Scarlet fever: 40 deaths across New Zealand |
| 1947 | Typhoid outbreak at Kaikōura: 78 cases, 3 deaths |
| 1948–49 | Polio: 65 deaths across New Zealand |
| 1952–53 | Polio: 80 deaths |
| 1955–56 | Polio: 79 deaths (last major epidemic) |
| 1959 | Tuberculosis cases among Europeans, 4.1 per 10,000; among Māori, 31 per 10,000 |
| 1964–65 | Rubella epidemic |
| 1971 | Hepatitis A: 4,500 cases notified |
| 1972 | Measles prevalent |
| 1977–80 | Hepatitis A: 1,500 cases notified annually (then declined) |
| 1983–98 | HIV/AIDS epidemic: 1,336 cases |
| 1985–86 | Measles and meningitis prevalent in Auckland |
| 1986 | Peak of HIV/AIDS epidemic: 125 cases |
| 1991 | Measles epidemic: 10,000 reported cases, 7 deaths |
| 1991–2007 | Meningococcal B epidemic: 5,244 cases, 252 deaths |
| 1995 | Rubella epidemic: 1,600 confirmed cases |
| 1996 | Influenza prevalent: 90 deaths |
| 1997 | Measles epidemic: 2,000 cases notified, 200 hospitalised |
| 1997–2008 | Campylobacteriosis epidemic |
| 1999 | Influenza prevalent: over 500 hospitalised |
| 1999–2001 | Pertussis epidemic: 6,523 cases notified |
| 2001 | Peak of meningococcal group B epidemic: 648 confirmed cases |
| 2003 | Influenza prevalent: 600 hospitalised |
| 2004–5 | Pertussis epidemic: 3,489 cases notified, 159 hospitalised |
| 2009 | H1N1 ‘swine flu’ pandemic: 3,150 confirmed cases, 20 deaths |
| 2020– | COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic |
This is a timeline of the most significant epidemic outbreaks in New Zealand between 1817 and 2020.
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