Auckland's health officials admit they botched their communication around the typhoid outbreak.

A woman has died as a result of the fever, and many of her community remain upset they weren't told she had typhoid until after she died.

Auckland Regional Public Health Service physician Dr William Rainger told Mike Hosking they held off a public announcement of the typhoid death until after the funeral.

But he said that didn't affect the spread of the disease.

"We've been following up the notified cases and the contacts around those cases, and that being the key activity, I don't think it's been badly compromised, no." 

Dr Rainger told Mike Hosking they need to learn from their communication mistakes.

But he said when dealing with outbreaks like this, it isn't a matter of just following what's been done in the past.

"They have different characteristics so yes, there are protocols but every situation very nuanced and you have to adapt to the circumstances."

LISTEN ABOVE AS DR WILLIAM RAINGER SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING