Vomiting bug hits over 250 pupils

The Norwalk virus can last up to 72 hours

At least 250 pupils and 20 staff at a secondary school have been confirmed to be suffering from a contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.

About 1,000 pupils failed to attend Holyrood School, in Chard, Somerset, on Friday where there is an outbreak of Norwalk virus.

Education officials believe many children have been kept at home by worried parents.

Health experts have visited the school since the outbreak started on Tuesday.

A Somerset County Council spokeswoman said the school had been specially cleaned and a thorough disinfection would be carried out at the weekend.

With an infection like this it can spread very quickly Paul Courtney, Dorset and Somerset Health Protection Unit

Letters have been sent to parents advising them to keep sick children at home 48 hours after recovering.

The head teacher is among the staff who have contracted the illness.

The school has been advised to stay open if it can continue to run "reasonably well".

Hand washing

Paul Courtney, of the Dorset and Somerset Health Protection Unit dealing with the outbreak, said it is believed to have started outside the school.

"With an infection like this it can spread very quickly.

"On Tuesday, we had about six parents reporting to the school they had children who were showing symptoms of sickness and diarrhoea.

"By Wednesday, that was more like 150 more.

"And so the nature of this kind of infection is if somebody's sick in a confined space for instance, aerosol droplets of vomit can be inhaled and quickly infect other people."

He said the best way to stop the spread of the infection was by good hygiene measures such as hand washing after going to the toilet and before preparing food.

Holyrood School is the only institution in the area known to be affected by the virus.

The Norwalk virus has non-fatal symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea and can last up to 72 hours.