Waitangi seafood, swim warning

Renewed health warnings have been issued against swimming or the taking of seafood from rivers or the inner harbours of the Bay of Islands

The warning was issued by Medical Officers of Health today as a precaution against infections and diseases in the wake of flooding at the weekend.

Northland District Health Board medical officers Drs Clair Mills and Loek Henneveld say the renewed warning is in anticipation of the influx of visitors expected for the Waitangi Day celebrations at Waitangi this weekend.

The floods had left the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses and skin infections through contact with contaminated runoff to rivers and inlets.

Hazards cited include sewage contamination in waterways, contaminated seafood, flood-damaged food items and refrigeration breakdowns as a result of power cuts during last weekend's storm event.

The board is concerned that visitors to Waitangi may be unaware of the extent of runoff of potentially contaminated floodwaters and have assessed the risk of infections at medium-high.

Waitangi Day hosts should be careful that their visitors avoided eating any shellfish taken in the Bay of Islands in Northland for at least 28 days, the warning says.

A similar warning has also been released for all coastal areas in Northland.