Dirty floodwater could cause surge in norovirus cases

Health experts are predicting a rise in stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea caused by dirty floodwater as sewage spills out of drains.

Floodwater may comprise of E.coli, salmonella and campylobacter bacteria as animal waste mixes with storm waters and human waste could result in a surge in cases of the the winter vomiting bug norovirus.

Dr Ben Neuman, microbiologist from the University of Reading, analysed a sample of water taken from next to a house that had been flooded in Somerset. Dr Neuman noted higher levels of bacteria, comparing it to the result of dissolving a couple of teaspoons of horse manure in an office water cooler.

Speaking to The Independent, Dr Neuman said: “I think there will be a big spike in diarrhoea, but people may not up end up reporting it to the public health authorities. It will be unpleasant, but not deadly. The water is dirty rather than dangerous.”

Public Health England (PHE) says it is monitoring hospitals and family doctors for the first sign of a spread of infectious disease.

Virginia Murray, head of extreme events and health protection, commented: “Floodwater can be coming from all over the place. You wouldn’t ever drink or swim in contaminated water. There are likely to be all sorts of bacteria and pathogens in floodwater and the best advice is not to come into contact with it, if at all possible. We are carrying out surveillance at GPs and A&E departments and we’re targeting that, as much as we can, to the local areas where people have seen flooding.”

So what exactly is norovirus you may wonder? Norovirus is the most common stomach bug in the UK and the NHS say that between 600,000 and a million people catch it each year in the UK.

The bad news is that you can be affected by it numerous time during your lifetime as the virus is continually changing and there is no specific cure for it. The good news is that with the right self-care you should be able to make a good recovery within a few days without the need to see your doctor.

Symptoms of the highly contagious norovirus usually rear their ugly head within a day or two after you have become infected and include: abdominal pain, aching limbs, diarrhoea, high temperature and vomiting.

Once your symptoms arise it is essential to stay at home to prevent passing the infection on to others and do not prepare food for anyone else until a minimum of 48 hours after the symptoms have passed.

The bug is typically transferred from contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces and objects, for instance touching the same doors or stair rails as somebody who has the virus.

Although you can get the norovirus at any time of the year, as its name ‘the winter vomiting bug’ would suggest, it is particularly prominent through the winter season.

Medical Specialists Pharmacy advise those affected to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, take paracetamol for aches and pains, try eating food easy to digest, like bread, pasta, rice, or soup and as mentioned earlier, stay at home until your symptoms subside.

Norovirus cases reach 1.1 million with millions still at risk

The total of people affected by norovirus (aka ‘the winter vomiting bug’) has now reached a staggering 1.12 million according to the latest Health Protection Agency (HPA) projected figures for England and Wales.

Laboratory-confirmed cases of norovirus now stand at 3,877 across England and Wales compared to 2,255 in 2011. However, the HPA claim that for every reported case, there are an additional 288 cases that have yet to be flagged up. This means there could be 1.12 million struck down with the illness.
The HPA estimates that approximately 100,000 people were suffering from the winter vomiting bug over the Christmas period – an incredible 72% increase on the year before at the same time. Although the total number of reported cases had dropped over the festive break, it is believed that millions in the UK are still at high risk of catching the contagious bug in the forthcoming weeks.

John Harris, an expert in norovirus from the HPA, said: “As we have seen in previous years there has been a dip in the number of confirmed laboratory reports owing to the Christmas and New Year period. However, in line with other norovirus seasons we will expect to see an increase in the number of laboratory reports in the next few weeks. Norovirus is very contagious, and anyone who has had it knows it is very unpleasant. If you think you may have the illness then it is important to maintain good hand hygiene to help prevent it spreading. We also advise that people stay away from hospitals, schools and care homes as these environments are particularly prone to outbreaks.”

Mr Harris’ comments come in the wake of reports that show in the closing two weeks of 2012 there were 29 hospital outbreaks. This however is some way off the 70 that had been reported in the previous fortnight and the total for the season has now reached 590.

A Department of Health spokesman commented on how the NHS is coping with the contagious condition, saying: “The NHS is well prepared for the winter. No ­­­ A&Es have had to close so far this winter and we are providing additional funding to the NHS to help it cope with the added pressure that the winter brings. Flu and norovirus are typical at this time of year – that’s why we are running the ‘Catch It. Bin It. Kill It’ campaign. The number of beds closed due to norovirus symptoms is around 2.4 per cent. This compares to 2.9 per cent during the peak last winter.”

The winter vomiting bug can be transferred via contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces and objects i.e. through touching the same doors or stair rails as somebody who has the virus. Symptoms typically last for a few days and include a sudden onset of vomiting – which may be projectile and/ or diarrhoea that is usually quite watery in nature, as well as a raised temperature, headache and stomach cramps. Although people can suffer from norovirus at any time, prominence of the illness and outbreaks normally occur during the winter season.

Unfortunately there is no cure for norovirus. However, if you do contract norovirus, Medical Specialists Pharmacy advise to drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated, take paracetamol for aches and pains, stick to eating foods that are easily digestible and stay at home until your symptoms subside due to the virus being highly contagious.

Contagious ‘winter vomiting bug’ hits UK; hospitals forced to close wards

An outbreak of norovirus or ‘winter vomiting bug’ as it is more commonly known, has left thousands suffering across Britain and forced an incredible 45 hospitals to shut down wards in an attempt to stop the winter bug from spreading any more than it already has – an increase from last year when 33 hospitals closed down certain wards for similar reasons.

Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital has closed four of its wards and is warning visitors to stay away, with four members of staff off-sick with the virus. Other hospitals that have experienced outbreaks of the winter vomiting bug include Solihull in the West Midlands, East Surrey Hospital, Weston General Hospital in Weston-Super-Mare, and Hinchingbrooke in Cambridgeshire.

Figures published from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show that the number of confirmed reports of Norovirus is up a massive 52% on the same period last year in what is a five-year high. So far there have been 1,975 confirmed cases since July. This is in comparison to 1,301 at the same time in 2011.

HPA expert John Harris however said the increase could be because of better detection techniques in labs. He commented: “Everyone can help to minimise the risk of outbreaks at their local hospital by not going if they have the typical symptoms of a norovirus infection.”

Norovirus is primarily a winter pathogen, hence the ‘winter vomiting bug’ name, but infections and outbreaks can occur during any time of the year. Symptoms include a sudden onset of vomiting – which may be projectile and/ or diarrhoea that is usually quite watery in nature. The virus is highly contagious and easily spread by contact with an infected person – usually via the hands through touching the same doors or stair rails as somebody who has the virus.

Unfortunately there is no cure, but it will usually run its course after a few days. If you contract norovirus you should drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated, take paracetamol for aches and pains, consume foods that are easily digestible and stay at home until your symptoms subside due to Norovirus being contagious.

An estimated 600,000 to 1 million people in the UK fall ill with Norovirus every year. If you do not want to become part of this statistic then there are a number of things you can do to try and both prevent contracting the virus, and stop it from spreading. For example, avoid sharing towels and flannels, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the toilet as well as prior to preparing meals, use a bleach-based household cleaner to disinfect any surfaces or areas that may be contaminated and wash all clothing and bedding at risk separately from other items.

Speaking on television regarding the outbreak, Daybreak’s Health Editor Dr Hilary Jones said that Norovirus is ‘very bad news’, adding: “Although it’s not hugely a life-threatening it is the most common form of gastroenteritis in adults in the UK.”

This is not the first high-profile outbreak of norovirus seen this year however. Only six months ago, Medical Specialists Pharmacy reported how the virus had spread aboard the luxury cruise ship ‘Boudicca’. In that instance, 170 of the 828 passengers ended up falling ill leading to a huge fumigation process before the ship could resume its journey to the Canary Islands.