Stomach bug hits Bay retirement village, again

The Bob Owens Retirement Village. Photo/file

Bethlehem's Bob Owens Retirement Village has been battling a highly contagious vomiting and diarrhoea illness for nearly a week, with one resident admitted to hospital.

Forty-six residents and two staff have succumbed to the suspected norovirus stomach bug since the first case was notified to Toi Te Ora Health last Thursday.

Ryman Healthcare spokesman David King said it was the third outbreak in the village over the last 12 months.

"It has presented as a short, sharp 24-hour bug."

With six people still affected by the illness, he believed the village was through the worst of it. "One person went to hospital as a precaution and has recovered."

Mr King said it had affected residents in the serviced apartments and the care centre. Management restricted activities for the rest of the village to prevent its spread.

Although Ryman had containment procedures, they were dependent on the co-operation of residents, their families and staff, he said.

Tauranga's Toi Te Ora public health service chief medical officer Phil Shoemack said they had worked with the village to track the numbers and make sure that all the steps were being put in place to stop the spread of infection.

He said that no further infections had been reported during the last 24 hours.

Mr Shoemack said norovirus was remarkably infectious and measures to stop its spread included isolating infected residents and ensuring that care staff did not mingle between the healthy and the sick.

It was mainly spread by direct personal contact although, because it lived for a short time outside the body, it could be picked up from things like towels and handrails.

The elderly and frail were at a higher health risk from norovirus. There were no specific protections except to be fastidious about personal hygiene, particularly washing your hands, he said.