Auckland typhoid outbreak update from public health

Auckland typhoid outbreak update from public health

Update on cases

As at 5 April 2017, there are have 16 confirmed cases and two probable cases of typhoid in the Auckland. There are 12 people currently in hospital; some patients have now been discharged.

So far, all the cases linked to this outbreak are part of one church community. Auckland Regional Public Health Service has confirmed the location where the church meets and continues to work with the church community. This includes engaging with the cases, their contacts and church leaders of this community, prioritising those people with the greatest clinical risk, and those at greatest risk of exposure to the bacteria.

Clarification of how typhoid spreads

It is important to understand typhoid is only spread by eating food or drinking water that is contaminated with faeces or urine from a person who has the illness, or who may be a carrier of the bacteria.

Casual social contact, such as visiting a person in hospital and hugging and kissing them, is not a significant risk to people.

Once people are being effectively treated in hospital, the risk of them spreading the disease is significantly minimised. It can take a number of days of monitoring before they are fully cleared by public health. Once cleared there is no risk of them spreading the disease.

The usual incubation period for typhoid is 8-14 days, so people who became unwell in the past week could not have contracted the disease by visiting a person associated with outbreak in hospital.

For more information see the Typhoid Fact Sheet. Members of the general public who have concerns should visit their GP, or call Healthline on 0800 611 166. Healthline has translation services available 24/7.

ENDS

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