Wellington cryptosporidiosis outbreak: Nearly 60 cases now reported in wider region

The number of cryptosporidiosis cases in the wider Wellington area this year has risen to at least 59. The outbreak, which was earlier said to be linked to public swimming pools, is now spreading through households, schools, and early childhood centres, with more cases expected. Health officials urge strict hand-washing, soap over sanitiser, and two-week pool exclusion after symptoms end to prevent further spread.

There have now been nearly 60 cases of a “brutal” and highly contagious parasitic stomach bug circulating in the wider Wellington region. The numbers have already soared past what would normally be expected in a whole year, ESR figures show. Cryptosporidiosis - which one woman said was so bad she nearly called an ambulance - started spreading in the Hutt Valley a few weeks ago with links to public swimming pools, and has now leaped to Wellington, Porirua, Kāpiti and Wairarapa.



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