Virus ward in Bridport reopens (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Virus ward in Bridport reopens

11:00am Thursday 17th January 2013 in Bridport

A WARD has re-opened at Bridport Hospital after being closed for a norovirus outbreak which affected 14 patients.

Gill Payne, lead nurse for infection prevention and control at Dorset HealthCare, said: “The Ryeberry Ward at Bridport Community Hospital was closed to admissions for a period of two weeks from December 27 to January 10.

“The ward was closed for the safety of our patients and to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We invested significant time and resources into the cleaning of the ward, including deep cleaning during the week and at the weekend. “Everyone involved with the outbreak worked swiftly, efficiently and effectively to resolve this in a timely way to ensure that the ward reopened at the earliest opportunity.”

The south west has been the worst hit region of the country for norovirus according to figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

There were more than 1,800 outbreaks in hospitals in England last year, closing more than 1,500 hospital wards.

Norovirus is highly contagious and can be transmitted through contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces and objects. It is known to spread rapidly in closed environments such as hospitals, schools and nursing homes.

Symptoms include sudden vomiting, diarrhoea – or both, a temperature, headache and stomach cramps. The bug usually goes away within a few days.

Although people can suffer from norovirus at any time of the year, activity increases in the winter months, with most cases seen between January and March.