Parents issued urgent warning as gastro rips through childcare centres in NSW

Parents in NSW have been urged to monitor their children for symptoms as gastro rips through early childcare centres. 

The state’s health department warned families the highly infectious stomach flu was running rampant in a tweet on Thursday. 

‘Keep kids home while sick and for 48 hours after their symptoms have stopped. If symptoms persist, visit your GP,’ NSW Health advised. 

Parents in NSW have been urged to monitor their children for symptoms as gastro rips through early childcare centres (stock image of a child washing their hands)

‘Keep kids home while sick and for 48 hours after their symptoms have stopped. If symptoms persist, visit your GP,’ NSW Health advised in a tweet on Thursday afternoon

The department added it was important that children and their carers were washing their hands well with soap and water to reduce the spread. 

There have been more than 155 outbreaks of highly infectious gastroenteritis in NSW childcare centres this month, nearly double the usual number of cases.

Richard Broome from NSW Health said almost 1000 children and more than 210 staff members had been affected in February, a 97 per cent increase for the month.

‘Since then there have been further notifications of gastroenteritis outbreaks across the sector,’ he said on Thursday.

Norovirus causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines, the condition known as acute gastroenteritis. 

Viral gastroenteritis symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, headache and muscle aches.

In more extreme cases, sufferers can experience fever, headaches and body aches. 

There have been more than 155 outbreaks of highly infectious gastroenteritis in NSW childcare centres this month, nearly double the usual number of cases (stock image)

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

Most people recover without complications but it can be serious for infants, people with suppressed immune systems and the elderly.  

Gastro is typically spread by contact with an infected person with an infected person or through contaminated food and water. 

Rest and rehydration are the main forms of treatment for the common infection. 

Any person living in a household with someone with gastro should avoid visiting high-risk facilities until at least 48 hours after each person has recovered.