Number of people with "winter vomiting" bug doubles
10 January 2008
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Almost twice as many people were infected with norovirus, the bug responsible for the "winter vomiting" crisis, at the end of 2007 compared with 2006, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
The HPA has received confirmation that by the end of November 2007, 1325 people had been infected with norovirus. However, the actual number is likely to be far greater than this as most people with it don't go to see a doctor or get tested for the infection. The HPA estimates that in all, between 600,000 and one million people are affected by norovirus every year.
The Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Professor Steve Field said: "The number of norovirus cases this year is the highest in five years. Hospitals have been inundated by referrals and through casualty. Local GPs are also seeing a huge number of cases."
Norovirus is passed on very easily through contact with someone who is infected, contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, or by contaminated food or water. Spread of the infection can be prevented by following good hygiene measures, such as washing your hands thoroughly after using the toilet and before preparing food, and ensuring that surfaces are cleaned with disinfectant.
Professor Field emphasised the importance of good hygiene: "Our advice for those affected is to stay at home, take paracetamol and drink plenty of fluids. You should also wash your hands regularly so as not to infect anyone else and, if possible, stay at home two days after the symptoms have gone."
People who are infected with norovirus will have symptoms including feeling sick, vomiting and diarrhoea. This comes on suddenly and lasts for about one to two days. After this most people will get better and won't have any long-lasting effects.
The reasons for the increase in the number of people infected with norovirus aren't known. However, a spokesperson for the HPA said that it's possible that health professionals and the public are now more aware of the infection so more people with it are diagnosed. Improvements in ways to identify the infection may also partly have led to there seeming to be an increase in those becoming infected.
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