Flu prevalence down, gastroenteritis on the rise

While influenza rates in Otago are not at the level expected at this time of year, Dunedin Hospital's emergency department has been seeing more gastroenteritis patients than usual.

Emergency department clinical leader Dr John Chambers said yesterday about half of the 100 patients seen with suspected viral symptoms during July had gastroenteritis.

Last July, 52 people turned up at the department with viral symptoms and only 30 of them were suffering from diarrhoea.

Those with gastroenteritis were generally dehydrated when they came to the hospital and had to be treated as infectious.

"We have been very busy with patients of all ages with flu-like illness."

Medical officer of Health for Otago-Southland Dr John Holmes said the latest figures on the incidence of flu-like symptoms were not yet out, but recent weeks had shown that while Otago's levels had increased, they were not up to what could be expected at this time of year.

National information on the incidence of influenza shows that earlier in July, Northland and Wanganui had the highest rates.

He was aware there were pockets of gastroenteritis in Dunedin which were affecting some schools, early childhood centres and other workplaces.

Dr Holmes said it was important if people had flu-like symptoms that they did not go to work or school.

It was a good time to remember the importance of frequent and thorough hand-washing.

"If you have diarrhoea you should be free of symptoms for 48 hours before returning to work or school or you may put others at risk of getting it."

Dunedin Urgent Doctors and Accident Centre practice manager Belinda Watkins said the centre had also noticed the gastroenteritis incidence.

The centre had been about 15% busier in the last month than in July a year ago, but most visits were accident-related, perhaps reflecting a greater awareness among general practitioners of the centre's orthopaedic clinic.

Wakari School principal Tony Hunter, who co-ordinates the relieving staff pool for 51 primary schools said it was difficult to find cover.

This was partly due to illness, but schools' demands for relievers had increased while the pool of relievers had shrunk.

There were only about 50 available and it had become increasingly difficult in the past couple of years to find enough people, a problem compounded when illness was prevalent.

Yesterday no relievers were available, so Wakari School had to reorganise limited staff to cope with a staff absence there.

The number of free flu vaccines administered in Otago this year was about 1% higher than last year and was 3% higher in Southland, Dr Holmes said.

 

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