A vomiting and diarrhoea bug is circulating through the Hawke’s Bay community, with the district health board’s public health unit urging parents to keep sick children home if they have symptoms.
Medical Officer of Health Rachel Eyre said a number of early childhood centres and schools, throughout Hawke’s Bay, were reporting a significant increase in tummy bugs.
Dr Eyre said samples tested, so far, had shown the bug to be Norovirus, which was a highly infectious virus that spread easily from person-to-person.
Symptoms appeared to be relatively short lived, many lasting just 24 hours, with most people experiencing vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and fatigue.
Anyone with vomiting or diarrhoea should stay away from work and sick children should be kept home for at least 48 hours after symptoms had cleared. Careful attention to hand washing would help prevent the bug spreading.
People with stomach bugs can be infectious after the symptoms stop and on some occasions for up to two weeks so it was important not to swim in public swimming pools for two weeks, and to be extremely vigilant around hand washing, she said.
It is very important to make sure children don’t get dehydrated so they should drink plenty of fluid and have oral rehydration drinks while they are ill. For information or advice Call Healthline 0800 611 116 for health advice that’s available 24/7, contact your family doctor or for more information www.ourhealthhb.nz
Post your comment
Comments
No one has commented on this page yet.