Thousands of residents of a small New Zealand town in the North Island are seriously ill after the local water supply was contaminated - possibly by animal faeces. On Thursday afternoon hundreds of residents of Havelock North in the Hawke’s Bay (population 3,000), began reporting severe symptoms of gastroenteritis such as vomiting and diarrhoea. All schools have now been shut in Havelock North for the next two days, on the advice of the Ministry of Education. A spokeswoman for the Hawke’s Bay Distict Health Board (DHB) said thousands were affected by the outbreak, although most people were treating themselves at home. However, more than 50 people presented to the emergency department at Hawke’s Bay Hospital, and 18 people were hospitalised.

Source: The Guardian August 15, 2016 01:36 UTC