Vomiting bug outbreak leads to closure of 98 wards

A VOMITING bug outbreak has forced at least 98 wards in 44 hospitals across Britain to close their doors to new patients, the NHS said last night.

The worst-affected areas are the north-west and south-west though no region has escaped the effects of the norovirus bug, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea.

A survey suggested the virus has cost British business £80 million (€106.9m) in the past two days because of staff illness.