Infection
High numbers of notifiable diseases not unexpected in Southern District
123f.com
Those living in rural areas are more likely to pick up bacterial infections linked to animals, a Public Health official says.
Southland and Otago have among the highest notifiable disease numbers on the South Island, but the Public Health Service says this isn’t unexpected.
Southern medical Officer of health Dr Michael Butchard said infections like Cryptosporidium – a microscopic parasite that causes diarrhoea – and VTEC/STEC – forms of E. coli – are often picked up during calving and lambing season.
“Southland and Otago are heavily rural areas, so an increase in…cases in spring is not unexpected,” he said.
The region also recorded a high number of Cryptosporidiosis cases because of an outbreak in Queenstown in recent months.
Notably, 496 cases of Campylobacteriosis were reported in the Southern District in the past 12 months – second to Canterbury on 685 – with 146 cases of Cryptosporidiosis (836 cases were reported nationally), 140 cases of VTEC/STEC infection (1018 cases reported nationally) and 116 cases of Yersiniosis – behind Canterbury on 134.
Campylobacteriosis is a bacterial disease found in animals like poultry and cattle and Yersiniosis is a bacterial disease mostly found in pigs, birds, cats and dogs.
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Southern medical Officer of health Dr Michael Butchard says Southerners often pick up diseases linked to animals during calving and lambing season. (File photo)
Butchard said the Southern District had a rigorous surveillance system in place that took the past years’ data into account to determine seasonally adjusted weekly and four-weekly thresholds.
“The best thing people can do to stop the spread of infection is to practise good hand hygiene,” he said.
Butchard recommends scrubbing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and drying them thoroughly with a clean towel after using the bathroom, changing a nappy, or helping others use the bathroom, before eating or cooking, after handling an animal, after handling any machinery that could have been exposed to farm animals, after gardening – even if you used gloves – and when caring for someone with diarrhoea.
“It is best to try and not touch your face until you have thoroughly cleaned your hands too,” he said.
People who think they may have contracted a notifiable disease are encouraged to call their GP, local healthcare provider or Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice.
