6. Health Services—Auckland Typhoid OutbreakDr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Auckland Typhoid Outbreak6. Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statements in response to yesterday's urgent question on the typhoid outbreak in Auckland where a 52-year-old woman has died?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes. Dr David Clark: When should his officials have publicly notified there was a death caused by a typhoid outbreak—the day public health officials learnt about it; 3 days later when the Ministry of Health finally found out; or 4 days after that once family members Church and Church community had come in contact with the woman who had died from typhoid fever as well as other potentially affected relatives and community members? Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Well that is a matter of judgment but I think what can be said is that lessons will be learnt from this whole episode. The point I would make though is that typhoid is actually spread either by water-borne means or by the handling of food by people who have been infected. So there is not a risk I am advised of contracting it from a person who is deceased. Dr David Clark: Can he confirm that the woman who died her friends her immediate family and two connected Church communities were never told by his ministry that she had typhoid fever that it is contagious and that these communities learnt of the seriousness of the situation only through media reports 1 week later? Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: No I cannot confirm that. It is not the role of the ministry to communicate information. It would be the role of the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. It has the responsibility in this case. Dr David Clark: Does he think it is adequate to have only one dedicated professional with Samoan language and cultural expertise in an already stretched Auckland public health service to respond to disease outbreaks in a population of over 1.4 million people? Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: That is an interesting and valid question and that is one of the matters that will be addressed in the debrief—Dr David Clark: Oh for goodness' sake! You're the Minister. Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: —just listen to the answer—and they do need to look into exactly what has gone on in terms of the liaison and the communication. That is an important point that will be raised. Dr David Clark: Were cases at Auckland City Hospital isolated and quarantined as soon as typhoid was diagnosed? Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: All the advice I have had is that they have been absolutely clinically correctly handled. Dr David Clark: Not true. Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Well it is true. Dr David Clark: Is it not actually true that when this woman died last week on Monday public health officials already knew they were dealing with typhoid since they had been dealing with an outbreak since as early as 20 March when three other members of the same Mount Albert Church community were admitted to hospital subsequent to an earlier Church event? Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: My understanding is that 20 March was not the date of the notification of the first case. But look all of this will come out when the Auckland Regional Public Health Service reviews its handling of this whole outbreak.