The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday that it received a report of a collective case of gastroenteritis on Saturday involving five children studying at the “Fu Luen Little White Rabbit Nursery” (婦聯小白兔托兒所) at 10-12 Rua de Nam Keng in Taipa.
The patients comprise two males and three females, all from Class C of the nursery. Most have sought medical attention and no severe case or serious complications were found, the statement said. One of the patients was hospitalised for observation and reported to be in stable condition.
According to the statement, the patients started showing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal pain starting on Thursday. The bureau, based on patients’ dining situations, has initially ruled out food as the root cause, noting that a virus is the more likely cause due to the onset time, symptoms, incubation period and signs.
The bureau highlighted two common and highly contagious causes of gastroenteritis, namely norovirus (Norwalk-like virus) and rotavirus.
Norovirus, aka the winter vomiting disease, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis, with symptoms, which usually appear 24 hours after exposure, including diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach pain, and sometimes fever or headache, according to Wikipedia, with most patients recovering within one to three days. Rotavirus, according to AI chatbot Poe, is a virus that causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting, mainly in babies and young children. It spreads easily from person to person or through contaminated food and water.
The statement said that norovirus can easily break out in collective settings like nursing homes and schools and has an incubation period of 24 to 48 hours. It affects all ages and can be transmitted through contaminated food or water, contact with vomit or faeces, touching contaminated objects or through droplets.
Symptoms of both the norovirus and rotavirus are similar, the statement said. The illness is usually mild and goes away on its own within one to five days, with few complications.
The bureau highlighted that they are investigating the collective case and has provided guidance on cleaning and disinfection, as well as isolating the patients, and ensuring good air circulation to control the spread of infection. Moreover, the bureau also reminded members of the public to pay close attention to personal, environmental, and food hygiene.
This photo downloaded from the Cleavland Clinic website last night shows the symptoms of gastroenteritis.
