Public TB, typhoid risk played down

Cases of tuberculosis (TB) and typhoid fever have turned up in the Bay of Plenty this week, but they pose little risk to the public.
A student at Te Puke High School was recently diagnosed with TB, a treatable respiratory disease caused by bacteria.
Toi Te Ora Medical Officer of Health Dr Neil de Wet said the disease was not easily spread, and the risk was small.
"I think there's a small risk in close household contact."
Dr de Wet said the risk for the student's classmates was also small, but they and some staff members were being offered screening.
He said the Te Puke community need not worry.
"There is no risk to the community at large."
He said the disease could be spread by droplets from coughing.
Symptoms of TB were a persistent cough that lasted for a few weeks, production of sputum, loss of energy, loss of weight, fevers and sweating at night.
Dr de Wet said TB could be treated with antibiotics, and would take about two or three weeks to recover from.
Patients would have to take two or three weeks off work or school, but would have to stay on medication for months.
He said about 12 cases of TB arose in the Bay of Plenty Lakes area each year.
There was a vaccine for TB, but it was rarely administered.
A worker in a kiwifruit orchard east of Tauranga was this week found to have typhoid.
The find meant kiwifruit worth $800,000 would be destroyed despite there being a low probability the worker could have contaminated the fruit.
Dr de Wet said typhoid was also not spread easily, but precautions were taken because it was a serious disease.
The disease was spread through faecal and oral matter and in countries like New Zealand where there were good living standards and sewage systems the risk of spread was low.
Dr de Wet was not concerned about the wider community.
He said seven close contacts of the kiwifruit worker had been assessed and so far it seemed they were all well, although some results had yet to come through.
Symptoms of typhoid were fever, headaches, chills, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhoea.
The worker was believed to have come to New Zealand under a seasonal employee scheme.
Dr de Wet said the worker arrived "very recently".
The worker was in hospital being monitored and was expected to be discharged yesterday.
Typhoid could be effectively treated with antibiotics.
Public health officials believe the worker had the illness before entering New Zealand.
- additional reporting by NZPA