Diarrhoea And Vomiting Outbreak At Waikato

10 September 2007

Diarrhoea And Vomiting Outbreak At Waikato Hospital

Waikato Hospital's head of medicine is urging people suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting to stay away from the hospital after a ward was closed and seven patients in cardiac care were struck down by gastroenteritis.

Dr Clyde Wade said the outbreak in the hospital was being contained. The illness was likely to have come from an epidemic in the community.

Ward five was closed on Friday when five people and six nurses became ill. It has now reopened.

Three nurses in the emergency department have also since succumbed to the illness.

"Anyone who has the bug should stay away from the hospital and we're also asking GPs not to refer any patients affected by the bug to the Emergency Department," said Dr Wade.

Waikato District Health Board medical officer of health Dr Anita Bell said the epidemic was probably norovirus which was currently rampant in the community.

Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach aches. People may also have a fever, chills, headaches and muscle aches.

Norovirus is found in the faeces and vomit of infected people and people can be infected through direct contact with another sick person, through eating contaminated food or touching surfaces and objects contaminated with the virus.

The illness is usually brief with symptoms lasting one to two days. She urged members of the public to regularly wash their hands, maintain good hygiene practices and clean contact surfaces regularly. Infected people should not prepare food, she said.

Waikato District health Board nursing and clinical services manager Hayley McConnell said an outbreak policy had been activated in the hospital. Patients and staff would be tracked and monitored. Ward five at Waikato Hospital was closed to minimise risk, she said.

The hospital had a difficult weekend with high admission numbers and reduced beds due to high staff sickness and nursing vacancies.

Occupancy at Thames Hospital was also high requiring several transfers to Waikato.

Some elective surgery had to be cancelled, said Ms McConnell.

ENDS

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