TWO York residential homes have been hit by a diarrhoea and vomiting virus - as a national report reveals that cases of Norwalk-like virus have doubled in the past year.
A total of 21 residents and six staff at Somerset private nursing home, in Church Lane, Wheldrake, were hit by Norwalk virus this week, but after being clear of symptoms for 48 hours the home was today re-opening to admissions and visitors.
Haxby Hall residential home in York Road, Haxby, remained closed this weekend and was undergoing extensive cleaning after residents suffered diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms.
The two closures come just weeks after York Hospital suffered its second outbreak of Norwalk virus in as many months.
In the most serious outbreak in November more than 200 patients and staff were affected and seven wards were closed to admissions.
In December a second outbreak affected about 110 patients and staff and closed five wards to admissions
Figures just published by the Public Health Laboratory Service show that confirmed cases of Norwalk-like virus are at their highest level yet.
There were 3,029 reports of norovirus, or Norwalk-like virus, during the first 10 months of 2002.
This compares with 1,604 during 2001 and is higher than the previous peak year, 1996, when 2,437 cases were confirmed. Norwalk-like virus, which is also called winter vomiting disease, or gastric flu, causes sickness, diarrhoea and fever and typically lasts from 24 to 48 hours.
It usually peaks during the winter months, but experts at the PHLS' communicable disease surveillance centre noted that in 2002 cases did not decline during the summer. They also noted that most of the extra cases last year were among the elderly - 68 per cent of all cases were in people aged 65 or over.
Generally, since 1992, more than three-quarters of norovirus outbreaks reported to the PHLS occurred either in hospitals or residential homes. The virus is easily spread through the air when people are sick, through contaminated toilets or in food and drink.
Updated: 11:03 Saturday, January 04, 2003
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