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A third of residents at an Auckland rest home have fallen ill to a suspected norovirus outbreak.
Thirty of the 90 staff and residents at Mercy Parklands Hospital and Retirement Home in Ellerslie have been experiencing symptoms including stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Newstalk ZB quoted Mercy Parklands general manager Peter Buckland as saying lives were not at risk, despite one man falling into a coma.
He said visitor numbers were now restricted, and staff had been allocated to specific patients.
Auckland Regional Public Health Service medical officer of health Dr Simon Baker said: "It's unusual for a third of residents to be affected, but in a way it's just a sign of how infectious norovirus is.
"It spreads very, very easily from person to person."
Norovirus was not fatal, but it was more likely to spread among the elderly because they were more frail, he said.
Norovirus outbreaks were common in New Zealand and were probably more likely to happen in holiday periods because people were moving from place to place more often, Dr Baker said.
Rest homes would have more visitors during such times.
"The more people come and go, the more likely it is that someone who visits will either have the illness or be incubating it or have just finished having it and therefore it's more likely to be passed on."
The rest home had advised any infected staff to stay off work and restricted visitors to sick people to help stop the spread of the virus, he said.
"I'm sure they'll be doing all the right things," Dr Baker said.
Results confirming whether it was an outbreak of Norovirus were expected in the next few days, he added.
Meanwhile, health authorities have praised the Scout movement for keeping a contagious viral outbreak contained at the national jamboree in Christchurch.
About 45 of the more than 3000 Scouts at the jamboree have fallen ill from the suspected norovirus outbreak.
Army medics and St John volunteers were called in to help local medics.
Camp chief Ross McKenzie said no more cases had been detected since the Scouts became ill on Sunday or early yesterday.
"Our troop leaders have done an outstanding job of ensuring everyone is practising good hygiene and this is contributing to controlling any further spread," he said.
Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Alister Humphrey said the Scout leaders had done well to quickly isolate the sick and prevent others in the community being exposed.
At a norovirus outbreak during an international badminton tournament in Christchurch at Easter, 25 per cent of those involved were struck down.
The "strike rate" at the jamboree is much lower.
"They have done very well, I think," Dr Humphrey said.
"They have contained it on the site and that's all credit to the organisation of the Scouts and the work they have put in."
None of the sick Scouts had to be taken to hospital, which would probably have spread the virus among patients there.
No single source of the outbreak had been identified. Instead, it was likely more than one of those attending the jamboree had carried it in with them.
More than 3000 Scouts from 14 countries, mostly in the Asia and Pacific regions, are attending the jamboree until Sunday.
Dr Humphrey said a norovirus outbreak was possible at any event where a large group of people were using the same washing and cleaning facilities.
Testing is still to be done to confirm that the outbreak is norovirus.
- NZPA
