Water bug hits Hawke’s Bay again

The Hawke’s Bay retirement village where an 89-year-old woman died last week, is reportedly in lockdown due to another gastro outbreak.

It is believed a unit of Mary Doyle Lifecare, in Havelock North, has discovered a recurrence of campylobacter.

Jean Sparksman died on Friday after contracting the illness last week.

Meanwhile, earlier yesterday, a Hawke’s Bay primary school was forced to close over a fresh E coli scare.

The closure of Haumoana School follows a gastro bug outbreak in the water supply in nearby Havelock North that made thousands of people ill. The school, which has its own water bore, said it had increased the frequency of its water testing in the wake of the Havelock North crisis.

On its school’s Facebook page, principal Jane Gallen said the school had closed after receiving a positive E coli test at 9.15am yesterday for a test carried out on Monday. As a result it had disconnected its supply and made the decision to close.

‘‘The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health were immediately contacted to provide advice and support, and our board of trustees has recommended our school be closed today while our water is investigated,’’ Gallen said.

Haumoana School is about 15km east of Havelock North.

PHOTO: FAIRFAX NZ Fiona Cullen was diagnosed with bowel cancer when she was pregnant, after twice being refused a colonoscopy which could have diagnosed it earlier. She has a 10-week-old baby, Morgan and is now having chemotherapy.