A spike in the number of people struck down by a foodborne illness in the MidCentral District Health Board region is most likely the result of cross contamination from poultry meat.

New figures from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research for December show a high number of campylobacteriosis cases, with 49 notified in the MidCentral region.

It is a significant increase compared to previous months, which typically have about 20 to 30 cases.

Massey University Infectious Disease Research Centre director Nigel French said the “urban campylobacter season” was in full swing and was generally when most cases of cross contamination from poultry meat occurred. “There are a whole lot of possible reasons why you might see an increase but November to February is the time when you see most cases of campylobacteriosis in urban areas,” he said.

“In rural areas you tend to see more cases in spring, particularly associated with calving season.”