Gastro outbreak hits the region

The gastro virus is highly contagious

According to surveillance group French GPs Sentinelles network, the dreaded gastro virus hit outbreak status at the end of December 2012, and the number of cases is expected to rise this week.

The region with the worst number of cases was the Nord Pas de Calais with 884 cases per 100,000, while Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur recorded 327 cases for every 100,000 people.

The average age of those infected is 28 years, with the youngest being one month old and the oldest 102 years old. The majority of sufferers were male.

The virus causes acute diarrhoea and is highly infectious. The public is encouraged to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and warm water, while infected children should be kept at home. It is important that anyone with gastro-enteritis does not prepare or handle food that is to be eaten by other people.