GPs urged to advise patients on gastroenteritis

The Food Safety Promotion Board has called on GPs to advise their patients about ways to prevent acute gastroenteritis.

The board said a study it conducted found that the illness accounted for 4% of all GP visits on the island of Ireland, with more than 1,800 people affected every day on both sides of the border.

Gastroenteritis causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea, but can be prevented through simple practices like regular hand-washing.