‘Do NOT go to school or work’, Brits told as highly contagious vomiting and diarrhea spreads across UK

According to the NHS website, you’re likely to have contracted norovirus if you feel suddenly unwell, projectile vomiting and watery diarrhea.

The main symptoms are:

1. Feeling sick (nausea)
2. Diarrhea
3. Being sick (vomiting)
4. A high temperature
5. A headache
6. Pain in arms and legs

But you may need to talk to a doctor if:

• You are worried about your baby who is less than 12 months old
• Your child stops breastfeeding or bottle-feeding while sick
• You think your child under five may be dehydrated – signs may include fewer wet diapers
• You used rehydration sachets but still show signs of dehydration
• You or your child are still sick and cannot keep down liquids
• You or your child has bloody diarrhea or starts bleeding from the bottom
• You or your child has had diarrhea for more than seven days or has been vomiting for more than two days

And if you detect any of the following signs, it is essential to seek urgent care:

• Vomit in your blood
• Vomit that looks like ground coffee
• Green vomit (adults) or yellow-green vomit (children)
• A stiff neck
• Pain when looking at bright lights
• Sudden, severe headache or stomach pain

People in the area are experiencing severe symptoms after Cryptosporidium, also called crypto, was found in the water supply.

The waterborne parasite can cause diarrhea and violent vomiting for weeks and can be transmitted from person to person.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is investigating 46 cases of virus infections in South Devon, and hundreds more are feared to be ill.

Local residents were urged to “not drink” tap water without boiling it.

Experts have warned that further outbreaks of the virus could emerge in other parts of the UK if infected people carry the virus away from Devon.

So how safe is the water in your area?

There is no geographic data available for detections of Cryptosporidium in UK water supplies, but there is data for other potentially dangerous pathogens.

As part of an annual investigation carried out by the Government Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), investigators found that 34 E. coli and Enterococci breaches occurred in England and Wales in 2021.

The agency sets safe limits for each substance – for E. coli and Enterococci, this limit was 0, meaning no traces should be found in drinking water.

Both are types of bacteria that indicate that water has been contaminated by feces, which can make humans and animals very sick.

The data shows that twelve breaches were recorded in the North West area served by Severn Trent Water.

Next came Anglian Water in the east of England, which recorded six breaches, while Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water had four.

Figures show that at least 5,577 Brits drank water contaminated with faecal matter in 2022.

Professor Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia, who has advised the World Health Organization on drinking water standards, told MailOnline that these pathogens are unlikely to make people sick, but point to contamination of water sources. water.

“They are generally not dangerous in and of themselves, but are an indication that the water may have been contaminated by fecal matter,” he said.

“There are some types of E.coli that can cause potentially serious diarrhea, but the most common type often does not test positive, even if it is present.

“Therefore, the presence of an E.coli or Enterococcus indicator does not mean that disease-causing bacteria are present, just that we cannot say they are absent.

“You could probably drink water with some indicator bacteria in it without getting sick.”

He highlighted that, in general, UK tap water is very safe – demonstrated by the fact that only 27 tests have come back positive out of 150,000 or so carried out.