Gastro outbreaks spread across Geelong childcare facilities

Gastro outbreaks have skyrocketed in the region, with the health department issuing a warning for families to prevent the spread of viral gastroenteritis.

GASTRO outbreaks have skyrocketed across childcare centres in the region, with the health department issuing a warning for families to prevent the spread of “highly infectious” viral gastroenteritis.

Twenty-one gastro outbreaks in both council-run and private childcare facilities have been reported to the City of Greater Geelong so far this year, about double the amount over the same period in 2020.

Meanwhile, health department figures show there have been three childcare outbreaks reported from the Surf Coast so far this year.

The department confirmed cases of viral gastroenteritis have increased in Victorian childcare centres so far this year, with the number of outbreaks more than four times higher than the five-year average.

There have been more than 245 outbreaks of gastro notified from Victorian childcare centres so far this year.

Twenty-one gastro outbreaks in childcare facilities have been reported to the City of Greater Geelong so far this year.

Victoria’s Executive Director for Communicable Disease, Dr Bruce Bolam, said the best way to prevent the gastro spreading is to keep children home until after they recover.

“Gastroenteritis can spread quickly through settings such as childcare centres, where children play and interact closely with each other and can readily spread their bugs,” Dr Bolam said.

“It is important for childcare centres to have good hygiene practices in place and to respond quickly with thorough cleaning if any children become ill.

“Handwashing with soap and water is still the best personal hygiene method to minimise the chance of spreading the virus.

“A good old-fashioned scrub with soap and warm water is the best way to remove the norovirus from our hands and prevent passing it on to infect others.

“Alcohol-based sanitiser is not very effective against bugs such as norovirus, which is the

predominant cause of the current childcare outbreaks.”

Dr Bolam said some illnesses such as norovirus had been relatively dormant over the last year but had increased in prevalence as restrictions eased – a trend seen in other jurisdictions across the country.

Viral gastroenteritis is highly infectious.

Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, headache and muscle aches.

They can take up to three days to develop and usually last between one or two days, sometimes longer. 

Infants or children in childcare or school as well as staff who develop vomiting or diarrhoea should stay at home for at least 48 hours after their symptoms have stopped.

If symptoms are severe or they persist, people should see a GP for advice and testing.

City of Greater Geelong Director Community Life Robyn Stevens said the City’s Environmental Health Officers investigate health department notified viral gastro outbreaks and provide support to child care centres that may be affected.

Anyone recovering from gastroenteritis should avoid visiting hospitals, childcare centres and aged care facilities to avoid spreading the infection to those most vulnerable.

Any person living in a household with someone who has gastroenteritis should refrain from visiting these high-risk facilities until at least 48 hours after the last person in the household has recovered.

Originally published as Gastro outbreaks spread across Geelong childcare facilities