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Dublin: 16 °C Tuesday 21 May, 2013

Vomiting bug infections more than double last year’s rate

The number of outbreaks of the winter vomiting bug in the first week of 2012 is more than double the rate from last year.

THE NUMBER OF recorded outbreaks of the winter vomiting bug in the first week of 2012 is more than double the rate of outbreaks in the first week of last year, a new report has found.

A report from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, obtained by the Medical Independent, found that there were 92 cases of the illness recorded in the first week of this year – compared to just 37 a year ago.

The outbreaks were confirmed to community hospital and long-stay units in HSE East, where there were 62 cases, and in similar facilities in HSE West where another 30 patients took ill.

The Medical Independent’s James Fogarty adds that 147 people had become ill in the last weeks of 2011 with the disease, with a residential hospital in the midlands seeing 63 patients infected.

There were five outbreaks from a “significant pathogen” in the first week of 2012.

Read more information in the Medical Independent >

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Comments (4 Comments)

  • What exactly is the “vomiting bug” is it a virus, or a bacterial infection???
    Could hand hygiene be responsible for spreading it.
    I recently witnessed men coming out of the cubicles in the toilet at Dublin airport and putting their unwashed hand on the door-handle and going out.
    Would it be to much to get the minister for health to start a campaign to get Irish people to wash their hands when they have been to the toilet.

    Reply
    • Its a virus called “Norovirus”. Very easily spreed through contact with surfaces and persons, it seems that it doesn’t enter through the skin but has to be ingested, best way to prevent infection is to wash hands and surfaces before eating.

      Reply
  • Don’t forget the other end… There where lots who had gravy bombs up there arse that where going off every hour.

    Reply
  • Our tap water isn’t fit for consumption has a lot to do with it

    Reply

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