Eighteen patients in Dunedin Hospital appeared to have fallen ill with norovirus across 10 wards, including four new cases today. Four staff had also developed symptoms since this morning.
The original norovirus outbreak three weeks ago affected more than 170 staff and patients. Ward 8A remained closed, and visiting patients throughout the hospital was limited to 2pm to 8pm.
The air conditioning in the hospital's Ward Block and Clinical Services Building had been changed from recirculating air to bringing in fresh air and expelling air, Otago District Health Board operations manager Megan Boivin said.
All scheduled patients that had been ill with vomiting and/or diarrhoea, or had had contact with people with those symptoms, were asked to stay away.
All emergency patients were being screened on arrival.
"We have also been contacting infectious disease and infection control specialists from hospitals with experience of large-scale norovirus outbreaks to critique actions we have taken so far and identify possible options," Ms Boivin said.
The DHB had followed Ministry of Health guidelines for management of norovirus outbreaks.
Chief nursing officer Teresa Bradfield said it was not unusual to have a second wave of the illness following an initial outbreak.
"But we are working vigorously to control it," she said.
Yesterday, the Otago District Health Board announced the earlier outbreak met the national criteria for a "sentinel" event and would be reviewed as such.
The findings of the review, to be carried out by board staff, would be sent to the Ministry of Health and all 20 other district health boards.
It would cover how the outbreak occurred and what could be done to prevent its recurrence.
If the Minister of Health then ordered an independent inquiry, the board would co-operate fully, chief executive Brian Rousseau said in a statement last night.
Fourteen people were ill with vomiting and diarrhoea in six wards at the hospital last night.
More than 170 staff and patients in Dunedin and Wakari hospitals were infected with norovirus over a three-week period recently.
Chief nursing officer Teresa Bradfield said ward 8A, one of the wards closed during week-long restrictions in the hospital and only reopened on Monday, was again closed last night.
It was not unusual to have a second wave of illness following an initial outbreak and hospital staff were "working vigorously" to control it, Mrs Bradfield said.
She asked the public to assist by strictly observing visiting hours: 2pm to 8pm in all wards, except the neonatal intensive care unit, adult intensive care unit and high-dependency units, where visiting was by appointment only.
Mr Rousseau said the panel of four - board quality and risk manager Catherine Rae (chairwoman), medical officer of health Dr Marion Poore, infection prevention and control charge nurse manager Jo Stodart and a fourth person, yet to be chosen, would review the results of planned debriefing sessions on the board's handling of the outbreak.
Ms Rae said, in this case, the sentinel event was a serious event which affected the provision of services. - with NZPA
