The Centre for Health Protection today reminds people and institution management to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene amid a recent upsurge in institutional outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis.

The centre detected 15 outbreaks in the past two weeks - eight occurred in kindergartens and child care centres, four in elderly homes, two in residential care homes for the disabled and one in a primary school, affecting 120 people. Five of these outbreaks were caused by norovirus.

This is an apparent rise when compared with an average of zero to two outbreaks a week from November 9 to December 6.

The number of acute diarrhoea cases at general practitioners also saw an increase, recording 35 per 1,000 consultations in the week ending December 13, while the figures for the preceding four weeks ranged from 19.8 to 27.7.

Letters have been sent to institutions including elderly homes, schools and hospitals to remind the management to be alert for viral gastroenteritis symptoms among residents, students and patients, and report any suspected outbreaks to the centre.

There were 122 acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in institutions involving 1,010 people reported so far this year. In 2007, there were 155, affecting 1,582 people.

Norovirus is a common cause of viral gastroenteritis in winter and can be transmitted via contaminated food or water, contact with contaminated vomitus, faeces or any objects, or by aerosol spread by contaminated droplets of splashed vomitus.

Proper management and adequate disinfection of vomitus and faecal matter is of crucial importance in preventing and controlling the disease spread. Click here for more information, or call 2833 0111.