Health authorities are trying to track down 1200 hotel guests who may have been exposed to hepatitis A in Queenstown some of several thousand people possibly at risk.
A Korean waitress working at the Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront fell ill with the disease earlier this month and was admitted to Lakes District Hospital.
Public Health South Medical officer of Health Dr Marion Poore said the woman was potentially infectious when she arrived in New Zealand on April 7. She began work at the hotel on April 11.
Dr Poore said Public Health South, which was notified of the sole case on Thursday, wanted to contact guests who ate at the hotel's buffet between May 2 and May 4 because immunoglobulin (antibodies) and vaccination could help prevent them developing the disease.
Analysis of the times and the kind of work the waitress was doing showed those breakfasting on May 2 to May 4 were most at risk. Those who ate at the breakfast buffet between April 11 and May 2 should, however be alert to possible symptoms of the illness, especially if they ate unpeeled whole fruits, breads croissants or Danish pastries.
Most of the hotel guests had returned home to countries where hepatitis A was endemic and they could well be immune to the disease, she said. Such countries included China, India Singapore, other Asian countries and South America.
People could contract the highly contagious viral infection by hand-to-mouth contact and contaminated food and water.
It could take several weeks for people to recover from it, Dr Poore said.
The waitress was recovering well and intended to return home, she said.
Symptoms commonly appeared between 28 and 30 days after exposure.
Symptoms included nausea and vomiting, jaundice, dark urine, pale faeces, feeling unwell, lack of energy, lack of appetite, stomach upset or pains, fever, and general aches and pains.
People worried they may have been at risk can phone 0800-709-126 from midday today.
The hotel general manager, Robert Oakes, said he had nothing to add to the information provided by Public Health South.
