Cases of campylobacter have been on the rise since December, hitting a peak last month, with almost 200 reported cases in Canterbury and the West Coast.
In some weeks, the number of reported cases has been double that of weeks in previous years.
Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) medical officer of health Ramon Pink said campylobacter rates in Canterbury used to be “right up there with global rates”.
“Over the last few years a lot of work has gone into reducing those rates and we had definitely seen a decline but, for some reason, this year numbers have increased again,” he said.
“This rise could be due to a number of things – maybe because of the earthquakes and subsequent damage to infrastructure, but I am just speculating.”
The bacterial disease is transmitted from contaminated food or water and can infect the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhoea, fever and cramps.
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