Outbreaks in care homes mean norovirus cases in Britain are 75 percent higher than normal

Norovirus cases in Britain are 75 percent higher than normal due to an outbreak in care homes.

More than 1,200 cases of the virus were detected in April, compared to the five-season average of 706 laboratory-confirmed cases, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) has revealed.

Most laboratory cases were found in people over 65 years of age and in catchment and social care areas.

The norovirus, the winter vomiting bug, is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhea.

The UKHSA said the unusually high number of cases could be due to the unusually cold weather or changes in epidemiology or testing practices following the pandemic, The Times reports.

Norovirus, the winter vomiting bug, is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhea (stock image)

In May, cases were reported to have risen to their highest seasonal level in five years amid a nationwide surge.

Amy Douglas, a norovirus epidemiologist at the UKHSA, previously said: ‘Levels of norovirus in April were higher than we would normally see at this time of year, and have increased.

‘This is probably due to a combination of factors, but the colder weather we have had will not have helped.

‘Norovirus can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people. If you do become ill, it is important to drink enough.

“If you have diarrhea and vomiting, you can take steps to avoid passing on the infection.”

She added: ‘Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have resolved and do not prepare food for others during that time.

‘If you are feeling unwell, do not visit people in hospitals and care homes to avoid passing on the infection in these settings.

The UKHSA said the unusually high number of cases could be due to the unusually cold weather or changes in epidemiology or testing practices following the pandemic (stock image)

Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces can also prevent infections from spreading.

‘Alcohol gels don’t kill norovirus, so don’t rely on them alone.’

Experts have suggested that Covid restrictions may also be partly responsible for the current surge, as fewer people than usual have been exposed to norovirus since the start of the pandemic.

According to their theory, our bodies may be less equipped to fight the infection after years of little exposure to it.

The same reason was partly attributed to the unprecedented spike in scarlet fever cases, which ballooned in 2022 to the highest number since the 1950s.

But they also warned that new strains of the bug could be behind the rise.

Professor Adam Finn, a member of the government’s vaccine advisory panel at the University of Bristol, told MailOnline: ‘The higher than usual recent figures may still be related, at least in part, to the decline in numbers during the Covid lockdown period.

‘We continue to see unusual epidemiology in terms of the number of cases and the seasonality of numerous infections following the pandemic. The relatively bad weather in the spring may also have contributed to this.

‘Sometimes we see the emergence of new strains of norovirus against which people have little or no immunity from previous infections.

‘About 17 percent of the very recent cases are due to a strain called G.II.17, which has only emerged quite recently. So this may also contribute to the higher than usual number of cases.’

He added: ‘There are also vaccines on the horizon, one of which is about to announce results from a phase three trial.

“So we may have the tools to prevent or at least reduce this problem in the not-too-distant future.”