Over 1.1 million people struck
down by winter vomiting virus

Officials say numbers of confirmed cases are 72 per cent higher than this time last year.

The dramatic rise has been attributed in part to an early outbreak of the illness which has closed dozens of hospital wards as it sweeps across the country.

A total of 3,877 laboratory-confirmed cases of norovirus have now been recorded in England and Wales – up on the 2,255 of last year.

But the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that for every reported case, an estimated 288 were not flagged up, meaning around 1.12 million people could have contracted the illness this season.

This is an estimated 100,000 more than during the pre-Christmas period when 1.01 million people were thought to have come down with the bug.

The number of reported cases dropped slightly during the Christmas week but this was in keeping with dips at the same time in previous seasons, agency officials said.

John Harris of the HPA, an expert in norovirus, 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.”

During the two weeks up to December 30, there were 29 hospital outbreaks reported, compared with 70 in the previous fortnight, bringing the total for the season to 590.

Cases of norovirus shot up earlier than expected this winter across Europe.

But experts have been unable to determine why there has been an upsurge or predict whether numbers will continue to rise at the same rate.

In Australia, the norovirus season peaked during June and August, winter in the southern hemisphere, but has gone on longer than usual into their summer, December to February.

The bug, which struck holidaymakers on two cruise ships before Christmas, can be transmitted through contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces and objects. It is known to spread rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools and nursing homes.

Symptoms – which usually last a few days – include sudden vomiting, diarrhoea, or both, a temperature, headache and stomach cramps.

The symptoms usually last one or two days and there are no long-term effects.

Although people can suffer from norovirus at any time of the year, activity increases in the winter months, with most cases recorded between January and March.

Hospitals across the country have issued appeals to people to step up efforts to prevent the infection spreading.

Visitors are being urged to clean their hands as they enter and leave ward areas.

They are also being advised not to sit on beds, limit numbers visiting each patient and not visit if they are also ill.

A Department of Health spokesman said flu and norovirus were typical at this time of year and it was running campaigns to prevent the spread of both.

“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,” he said. “Our weekly published figures show the number of beds closed across the NHS due to norovirus symptoms is around 2.4 per cent.”

“This compares to 2.9 per cent of beds that were closed during the peak of norovirus cases last winter.”