Raigmore ward remains closed after sixth case of winter vomiting bug is confirmed

Published on 05/12/2012 16:41

A SURGICAL ward at the Highland flagship hospital remains closed after a sixth patient was confirmed as having the winter vomiting bug.

Ward 3A at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, was shut earlier this week to new admissions and visitors are being asked not to attend while staff in the hospital deal with several cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.

A total of six are now known to have been affected, and three are still experiencing symptoms.

Local testing confirmed it to be norovirus, the winter vomiting bug.

The virus, which causes diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, spreads in the air where someone has had diarrhoea or vomited and is extremely difficult to contain.

There is no specific treatment for diarrhoea and vomiting of this kind and it is not usually necessary to visit a doctor.

The best course of action is to stay at home, take paracetamol to relieve symptoms of any fever and to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

People should also adhere to strict hand washing techniques to reduce the spread of the virus.