Health officials identify new strain of winter vomiting bug

HEALTH officials have warned the winter vomiting bug, which has shut down wards in up to 17 hospitals, is a new strain that has been causing chaos in hospitals worldwide for the past four years.

Clinical Microbiologist, Dr Robert Cunney of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), said there has been a sharp increase in the past four to five years in the incidence of the bug.

“But this has been documented not just here but right across Europe, the US, Australia and elsewhere and it seems as though there’s been a change in the virus, a sort of a new strain that has emerged that seems to be more transmissible, possibly is more likely to cause disease as well,” Dr Cunney said.

“If you wanted to design the perfect virus, this probably is it because it can be transmitted in so many different ways ... It’s a very hardy and ubiquitous virus and in fact overall it is the single most common gastroenteritis in all age groups in all settings including the community. It’s very difficult to control.”

A further 10 cases of the winter vomiting virus were recorded at St Vincent’s University Hospital yesterday, bringing the total number of cases at the hospital to 173 in the past 10 days.

Last week the hospital was forced to cancel scheduled surgery because of 160 cases of bug among staff and patients in the previous week. Restrictions were also placed on visitor access and accident and emergency was reported to be under strain due to pressure on beds.

“A total of 28 of these patients are currently symptomatic while in addition, about 105 staff members have also been affected and about half of them are on sick leave.

“Other staff members have helped cover their shifts by doing extra hours,” a spokesperson for the hospital said.

Cases have also been recorded at Galway University Hospital, Kerry General Hospital, St Mary’s Orthopaedic in Cork, Nenagh General, Portiuncula and the Mid Western Regional in Limerick.

Dr Cunney told RTÉ News that despite a tremendous increase in the bug in the past few years, current levels were not as high as last year.

“People are most contagious when they have the symptoms but the bug can be transmissible for up to 48 hours after symptoms go,” he said.

He said hand washing and the careful handling of food were two of the most sensible precautions in the fight against the disease.

How the bug is transmitted

The winter vomiting bug can be transmitted by:

* Close contact with an infected person.

* The air we breathe.

* Contaminated food.

* Contaminated water.

* Contamination of the environment - acute cases have taken place in airplanes and cruise ships.