Institutional gastroenteritis outbreak reporting in Wales
16 March 2015
Context
This report summarises data on impact of norovirus on hospitals in Wales and on outbreaks of
diarrhoea and vomiting in community settings in Wales. Health Boards in Wales (plus Velindre NHS
Trust) report the number of wards fully (all bays) or partially (more than one bay but fewer than all)
closed to admission due to confirmed or suspected norovirus in acute and community hospitals within
their area at midday each Monday. Health Boards also report the number of patients in any ward or
bay closed due to known or suspected norovirus at midday on Monday who at some point have been
symptomatic for norovirus.
Health Protection Teams provide information on any new reports of two or more cases of diarrhoea
or vomiting occurring in the same institution in the same week, or a report of more cases than would
be expected in a given week. The period of reporting for the Health Protection Teams is midday on
the preceding Monday to midday on Monday of the current week. In addition, this report presents
statistics on the rate of consultations for gastroenteritis carried by General Practitioners across Wales
during the previous week (Monday to Sunday).
The present report includes any data which may have been submitted too late for inclusion in the
previous week’s report.
It is anticipated that this report will in time be expanded to include norovirus data from laboratory
reports. The report is intended to inform public health decision making and is not linked to either
official statistics or performance measurement. It is anticipated that a more fully featured reporting
mechanism will in time replace this report in its current format.
1
Overview
At midday on Monday 16th March 2015, five Health Boards/Trusts reported any hospitals, wards or
patients affected by norovirus. Two Health Boards/Trusts reported no hospitals, wards or patients
affected by norovirus. One Health Boards did not report figures for this week. Three Health
Protection Teams reported outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting in community settings in the week
commencing midday Monday 9th March and ending midday Monday 16th March 2015. All Health
Protection Teams reported figures for this week. See ‘Context’ above for the definition of outbreak in
this context. Reports from hospital and community settings are summarised in Table 1.
Table 1: Summary of reports from Health Boards (confirmed or suspected norovirus) and
Health Protection Teams (outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhoea)
Hospitals, midday 16th March 2015
Health Boards reporting any hospitals with any full or partial ward closures
5
Hospitals reporting any full or partial ward closures, all Wales
8
Wards fully or partially closed, all Wales
12
Patients in fully or partially closed wards with confirmed or suspected norovirus, all
Wales
63
Community settings, new reports 9th March to 16th March 2015
Health Protection Teams reporting any diarrhoea and vomiting outbreaks
3
Diarrhoea and vomiting outbreaks in residential care homes, all Wales
3
Diarrhoea and vomiting outbreaks in schools and nurseries, new reports, all Wales
3
2
Health Boards and hospitals affected by norovirus
Reported partial or full closures of hospital wards due to suspected or confirmed norovirus are shown by Health Board and by week in Chart 1. Please
refer to ‘Context’ above for definitions.
15-Sep-14
22-Sep-14
29-Sep-14
06-Oct-14
13-Oct-14
20-Oct-14
27-Oct-14
03-Nov-14
10-Nov-14
17-Nov-14
24-Nov-14
01-Dec-14
08-Dec-14
15-Dec-14
22-Dec-14
29-Dec-14
05-Jan-15
12-Jan-15
19-Jan-15
26-Jan-15
02-Feb-15
09-Feb-15
16-Feb-15
23-Feb-15
02-Mar-15
09-Mar-15
16-Mar-15
23-Mar-15
30-Mar-15
06-Apr-15
13-Apr-15
20-Apr-15
27-Apr-15
04-May-15
11-May-15
18-May-15
25-May-15
01-Jun-15
08-Jun-15
15-Jun-15
22-Jun-15
29-Jun-15
06-Jul-15
13-Jul-15
20-Jul-15
27-Jul-15
03-Aug-15
10-Aug-15
17-Aug-15
24-Aug-15
31-Aug-15
07-Sep-15
14-Sep-15
ABMU
Aneurin Bevan
BCU
Cardiff and Vale
Cwm Taf
Hywel Dda
Powys Teaching
Velindre
Chart 1: Health Boards/Trust reporting any hospital with full or partial ward closure due to suspected or confirmed norovirus.
Red blocks=one or more hospitals reporting any full or partial ward closure due to confirmed or suspected norovirus for that week
Black blocks=not reported
White blocks=no hospitals affected
3
Detailed figures for hospitals, wards and patients affected are shown by Health Board/Trust in Table
2.
Table 2: Ward closures and patients affected due to norovirus, Monday 16th March 2015
Health Board /
Hospitals
Wards
Patients
Trust
Total
Total
Total fully
Total fully OR Total with
reporting
reporting
closed
partially
confirmed or
any full
any full OR
closed
suspected
ward
partial
norovirus in wards
closures
ward
fully or partially
closures
closed
1
1
1
1
3
ABMU
1
3
2
4
19
Aneurin Bevan
1
2
1
5
32
BCU
1
1
1
1
5
Cardiff and Vale
0
1
0
1
4
Cwm Taf
0
0
0
0
0
Hywel Dda
Not
Not
reported
reported
Not reported Not reported
Not reported
Powys Teaching
0
0
0
0
0
Velindre
4
8
5
12
63
TOTAL
4
The number of hospitals reporting any full or partial closure of wards due to suspected or confirmed norovirus and the total number of wards
fully or partially closed across all Wales is shown by week in Chart 2.
18
16
14
12
10
Hospitals with wards fully or partially
closed
8
Wards fully or partially closed
6
4
15-Sep
22-Sep
29-Sep
06-Oct
13-Oct
20-Oct
27-Oct
03-Nov
10-Nov
17-Nov
24-Nov
01-Dec
08-Dec
15-Dec
22-Dec
29-Dec
05-Jan
12-Jan
19-Jan
26-Jan
02-Feb
09-Feb
16-Feb
23-Feb
02-Mar
09-Mar
16-Mar
23-Mar
30-Mar
06-Apr
13-Apr
20-Apr
27-Apr
04-May
11-May
18-May
25-May
01-Jun
08-Jun
15-Jun
22-Jun
29-Jun
06-Jul
13-Jul
20-Jul
27-Jul
03-Aug
10-Aug
17-Aug
24-Aug
31-Aug
07-Sep
2
Chart 2: Total wards fully or partially closed due to norovirus and total hospitals with wards fully or partially closed due to
norovirus, Wales
5
Gastroenteritis outbreaks in community settings
Figures for reported outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting by Health Protection Team are shown in
Table 3.
Table 3: Reports of outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting by health board and
institutional setting (see ‘Context’ above for detailed definitions), Monday 9th March to
Monday 16th March 2015
Health Protection Team
Nurseries
Schools
Residential
care homes
North Wales
0
0
0
Mid and West Wales
0
0
1
South East Wales
0
1
1
Gwent
0
2
1
TOTAL
0
3
3
6
The number of residential care homes and schools/nurseries reporting new outbreaks of two or more cases of diarrhoea or vomiting occurring
in the same institution in the same week, or a report of more cases than would be expected in a given week, is shown by week in Chart 3.
10
9
8
7
6
5
Schools and nurseries
4
Residential care homes
3
2
1
01-Sep
8 Sep
15-Sep
22-Sep
29-Sep
06-Oct
13-Oct
20-Oct
27-Oct
03-Nov
10-Nov
17-Nov
24-Nov
01-Dec
08-Dec
15-Dec
22-Dec
29-Dec
05-Jan
12-Jan
19-Jan
26-Jan
02-Feb
09-Feb
16-Feb
23-Feb
02-Mar
09-Mar
16-Mar
23-Mar
30-Mar
06-Apr
13-Apr
20-Apr
27-Apr
04-May
11-May
18-May
25-May
01-Jun
08-Jun
15-Jun
22-Jun
29-Jun
06-Jul
13-Jul
20-Jul
27-Jul
03-Aug
10-Aug
17-Aug
24-Aug
31-Aug
0
Week commencing
Chart 3: New outbreaks of two or more cases of diarrhoea or vomiting occurring in the same institution in the same week,
or a report of more cases than would be expected in a given week, all Wales, by week
7
GP consultations for gastroenteritis
The Audit+ system systematically collects data from all General Practices across Wales which have Audit+ installed on their system.
Surveillance data is received on a daily basis from approximately 85% to 90% of all practices across Wales. Chart 4 shows the rate of
gastroenteritis consultations, per 100,000 practice population, recorded by GPs in reporting practices each week between Monday and Sunday.
The mean weekly consultation rate for 2011-13 inclusive is also presented. Table 4 shows age-group specific rates for gastroenteritis
consultations for the most recent six weeks.
Average 2011-2013
2014
2015
Consultation rate per 100,000
120.0
100.0
80.0
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
1
3
5
7
9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51
Week of year 2014-15
Chart 4: Overall GP consultation rate per 100,000 for gastroenteritis in Wales (all reporting practices), by week. Data for
latest week is provisional. Source: Audit+.
8
Age group
0-<1
1-4
5-14
15-24
25-34
35-44
45-64
65-74
75+
Total
6
558
195
59
48
43
35
35
53
89
59
7
613
234
45
48
42
32
34
51
96
60
Week
8
9
645 540
186 199
48 57
39 45
52 39
35 39
40 40
53 60
100 104
60 62
10
645
224
56
51
44
38
38
56
102
64
11
655
264
73
49
48
35
41
60
83
67
Table 4: Age-group specific gastroenteritis consultation rates per 100,000, 6 to 11. Data
for latest week is provisional.Source: Audit+
9