Dunedin and Southland Hospitals are both caring for children with a possible fatal respiratory disease which is sweeping across New Zealand.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, also known as RSV, is an annual winter ailment which predominantly affects infants and children.
New Zealand had very few cases of it last year due to the Covid-19 lockdown, but the disease has returned with a vengeance this year.
Starship Hospital in Auckland has had to postpone surgery to make room for children with the disease, and Wellington Hospital has more than 20 babies with RSV in its children’s ward.
Southern District Health Board chief medical officer Nigel Millar said Otago and Southland normally had cases of RSV in August and September, after the disease had afflicted patients in the North Island.
This year, there were already children with RSV in Dunedin and Southland hospitals.
"In terms of Dunedin’s children’s unit, our isolation rooms have been full this week with a mix of respiratory viruses," Dr Millar said.
"At Southland Hospital, we’ve seen similar presentations, with the children’s ward at capacity this week, predominantly with respiratory illnesses requiring isolation."
No babies in the neonatal unit had RSV, and the SDHB had instigated winter visiting protocols aimed at reducing the spread of respiratory infection he said.
Kohanga reo and early child-care centres across the district had reported children absent due to respiratory illness, and SDHB medical officer of health Susan Jack urged parents and caregivers to keep sick children at home and seek medical attention if they got worse.
"RSV causes infections in the lungs and airways," Dr Jack said.
"It is a common illness among young children, but some do get very sick with pneumonia or bronchiolitis.”
