Health Warnings & Alerts

Public health warnings are provided by Toi Te Ora Public Health to help the Bay of Plenty and Lakes communities manage and monitor local public health issues.

Scroll below to see if there are any health concerns, shellfish health warnings and/or recreational water health warnings in your area.

Latest updates

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Infectious diseases

Mumps
There have been a number of mumps cases in New Zealand in recent weeks. Please see the Ministry of Health website for more information.
Whooping cough (pertussis)
There has been an increase in the number of whooping cough cases in our area and across New Zealand this year. View our recent media release or our whooping cough page for more information.
Hepatitis A
Please see the Ministry for Primary Industries website for advice regarding frozen imported berries and Hepatitis A.
Zika virus
The Ministry of Health recommends that women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the near term should defer travel to areas with Zika virus present. If travel is essential, if possible delay pregnancy if travelling to these areas. For information about the zika virus and travel visit the Ministry of Health website.

For information on infectious diseases, visit our Infectious Diseases page.

Rena Recovery

For public health advice and information related to the MV Rena incident in October 2011, click here.

Recreational water health information

Follow these links for shellfish and recreational water information. For pollution events that could affect recreational water and shellfish gathering contact your local council. All toxic shellfish warnings and alerts are shown on the Ministry for Primary Industries website and also in the summary table below.

As a public health precaution, it is routinely recommended that people avoid swimming in rivers, streams and harbour areas for 48 hours after heavy rainfall events.

All health warning advice below is current and any changes in status are updated on this page on the same day.

Bay of Plenty shellfish and recreational water health warnings

Health Warning	Public Health Advice	Reason	Area
Permanent	Not to eat shellfish	Contamination - Elevated levels of faecal contamination which can be taken up by the shellfish.	Waiotahe estuary, near Opotiki
Permanent	Avoid recreational water contact	Contamination - Elevated levels of faecal contamination	Kaiate Falls
Permanent	Not to eat the eels	Elevated levels of dioxin in eels and canal	Kopeopeo Canal and Orini Stream in Whakatane
Permanent	Avoid recreational water contact	Contamination - Elevated levels of faecal contamination.	2 Mile Creek, Waihi Beach
Permanent	Avoid recreational water contact	Contamination - Elevated levels of faecal contamination.	3 Mile Creek, Waihi Beach
Permanent	Avoid recreational water contact	Contamination - Elevated levels of faecal contamination.	Waimapu Stream, Greerton (includes Maleme Street drain) Greeton Marist Rugby fields in time of flood Courtney drain, Fraser Cove
Permanent	Not to eat shellfish	Contamination - Elevated levels of faecal contamination which can be taken up by the shellfish.	Tilby Point, Tauranga
Permanent	Not to eat shellfish	Contamination - Elevated levels of faecal contamination which can be taken up by the shellfish.	Little Waihi (Waihi Estuary Main Channel)
Permanent	Avoid recreational water contact within 48 hours after rainfall	Contamination - Elevated levels of faecal contamination.	Wairoa River, Bethlehem
Permanent	Avoid recreational water contact	Algal blooms	Awatapu Lagoon, Whakatane
Permanent	Avoid receational water contact	Algal blooms	Sullivans Lake, Whakatane

Lakes (Rotorua and Taupo districts) recreational water health warnings

Health Warning	Public Health Advice	Reason	Area
Temporary	Avoid recreational water contact	Elevated levels of bacterial contamination	Ngongotaha Stream
Temporary, issued 2 December 2016, still current	Avoid recreational water contact	Elevated levels of bacterial contamination	Utuhina Stream
Temporary, issued 9 November 2017, still currrent	Avoid recreational water contact	Algal blooms	Lake Rotoehu
Temporary, issued 9 November 2017, still currrent	Avoid recreational water contact	Algal blooms	Lake Okaro

For public health warnings in the Waikato region, visit the Waikato District Health Board website.

Algal blooms in Lakes

A number of lakes in the Rotorua area (such as Lake Rotoehu, Lake Okaro and Lake Rotoiti) are prone to blooms of blue-green algae that may be harmful to health. These lakes are monitored during warmer months of the year and health warnings are issued if blooms occur. However, blooms may occur rapidly and unpredictably, and during the winter months the lakes are not monitored. Therefore always look before using the lakes. If the water looks discoloured, has an unusual smell, has green or brown particles suspended in it, or there is visible surface scum, then it is best to avoid contact with it. Read more about algal blooms.

Last modified: 08 Jan 2018