Health & wellbeing  |  26 Jan 2021

People are being warned to stay out of the water and not take shellfish from Glen Bay in Akaroa, following concerns over high levels of faecal bacteria found in a recent sample.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Ramon Pink says that the water quality is not suitable for recreational activities, including swimming and collecting shellfish, because of the risk to health from bacteria and other potential pathogens.

Environment Canterbury will be undertaking more sampling to investigate the possible cause.

People should not eat shellfish from the bay and remove the gut and liver of any fish – along with washing in clean water – before cooking.

“Water contaminated by human or animal faecal matter may contain a range of disease-causing micro-organisms, such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa,” Dr Pink says.

“In most cases, the ill-health effects from exposure to contaminated water are minor and short-lived,” he says. “However, there is the potential for more serious diseases, such as hepatitis A, or a salmonella infection.”

Go to the Environment Canterbury website to check the latest water quality warnings.