Auckland health service meets with family and church at centre of typhoid outbreak

Family spokesman Jerome Mika and fellow church member Christina Sagapolutele talk to media after the death of a woman who had contracted typhoid. Photo/Vaimoana Tapaleao

The family and church affected by a typhoid outbreak that infected at least 18 people and saw one woman die have met personally with the health service to ensure their concerns were heard.

The family's spokesman says many of their fears have been allayed.

His statement caps off a fortnight of confusion after many of the friends and family of the woman who died were not told she had the disease and had to hear it through the media.

The woman, 52, died on March 28 but delays in informing those close to her, and misinformation about which church she had attended, caused confusion and panic in the Samoan Assemblies of God community.

Those close to the woman had hugged and kissed her while she lay dying, not knowing she had typhoid.

On Friday the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) admitted it had regrets about how it had handled communications on the matter, although it was happy with how it dealt with the outbreak from a health perspective.

It has since met with the woman's family and church, the Mt Albert Samoan Assembly of God, to listen to their concerns.

Family spokesman Jerome Mika had previously said the health service dropped the ball but now he was very positive about the past few days' developments.

"Many of the community's fears have been put to rest, and there is strong commitment on both sides to work together," Mika said in a joint statement issued by the church, the family and the health service.

ARPHS public health physician William Rainger added: "We have spoken personally with the family and church congregation and gained a deeper understanding of their concerns.

"I hope we have been able to reassure the community that typhoid is a very treatable disease, that this outbreak is under control, and the risk of new cases is low."

The health service said this afternoon the number of cases stood at 18 for the third day in a row and the outbreak "may have plateaued".