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In mid 2004 an island in the Whitsundays experienced an outbreak of norovirus. Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause the ‘stomach flu’ or gastroenteritis.
The illness can spread extremely quickly. Over a one month period the island resort experienced 173 cases of norovirus.
Because norovirus is so contagious, it can be difficult to control once it takes hold. When an outbreak occurs, all staff need to be meticulous and rigorous in adopting control measures. The Tropical Regional Services needs to be informed as soon as possible so they can provide advice to assist island resort staff in controlling the transmission of the virus.
When the Tropical Regional Services was notified of the norovirus outbreak in 2004, officers visited the island to meet with the island staff to provide strategies to reduce transmission of the illness.
Control measures recommended by Tropical Regional Services included:
Discard any uncovered food if someone vomits nearby.
For further information see the following norovirus fact sheets:
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