Cases of the potentially deadly disease leptospirosis are more than doubling, probably as a consequence of floods, a public health researcher says.
Flooding north of Motueka Photo: RNZ / Logan Church
A public health surveillance report showed there were 142 cases of leptospirosis in 2017, well up from a long-term average of 60.
The disease can feel like a bad case of the flu, but can also progress to rashes, kidney and liver failure, and sometimes death.
The disease is typically seen in farmers and meat workers because it can be picked up through cow urine.
However, public health scholar Jackie Benschop said it was creeping into urban areas and experts think this is likely due to contaminated floodwater.
2017 was a particularly bad year for leptospirosis - not just in cattle and sheep but in dogs, horses and even alpacas, she said.
