Suspected and laboratory-confirmed reported norovirus outbreaks in hospitals: outbreaks occurring in weeks 14 to 17, 2018
Updated 25 January 2019
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The hospital norovirus outbreak reporting scheme (HNORS) recorded 25 outbreaks occurring between weeks 14 and 17 in 2018, 23 of which (92%) led to ward or bay closures, or restriction to admissions, and 23 (92%) were recorded as laboratory-confirmed due to norovirus. Between week 1 (week beginning 1 January 2018) and week 17 (week beginning 23 April 2018), 198 outbreaks have been reported. 97% (192) of reported outbreaks resulted in ward or bay closures, or restrictions to admissions, and 71% (141) were laboratory-confirmed as due to norovirus.
Suspected and laboratory-confirmed reported norovirus outbreaks in hospitals, with regional breakdown: outbreaks occurring in weeks 14 to 17 of 2018.
| Region/PHE Centre | Outbreaks between weeks 14 to 17/2018 | Total outbreaks weeks 2018 to date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outbreaks | Ward or bay closure* | Lab-confirmed | Outbreaks | Ward or bay closure* | Lab-confirmed | |
| East of England | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| East Midlands | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| London | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| North East | 7 | 7 | 7 | 52 | 48 | 39 |
| North West | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| South East | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 66 | 5 |
| South West | 11 | 11 | 9 | 69 | 68 | 59 |
| West Midlands | 2 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 36 | 16 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | – | – | – | 23 | 23 | 13 |
| Total | 25 | 25 | 23 | 198 | 192 | 141 |
* Note: not all outbreaks result in whole wards closures, some closures are restricted to bays only.
In the current season to date † (from week 27 in 2017 to week 13 in 2018), there were 3314 laboratory reports of norovirus. This is 2% lower than the average number of laboratory reports for the same period in the seasons between 2013 and 2017 (3387).
† The norovirus season runs from July to June (week 27 in year 1 to week 26 in year 2) in order to capture the winter peak in one season.
Note: The number of laboratory reports in the most recent weeks will increase as further reports are received.