A MAJOR health campaign is under way in York, North and East Yorkshire to prevent people unwittingly bringing the Norwalk virus into hospitals.

From next week, warning posters will confront visitors to York Hospital, and other sites across the region, warning them of the dangers of visiting the wards if they themselves are suffering from sickness or diarrhoea symptoms - or have done in the past 48 hours.

The airborne virus, which causes unpleasant symptoms for 24 hours in an otherwise healthy person, can have a devastating effect on the running of a hospital if staff and patients contract the infection.

Public Health Laboratory Service figures show that in the first ten months of 2002 there were 3,029 reports of the virus compared with 1,064 during 2001.

York Hospital suffered several outbreaks of Norwalk throughout 2002 - but the problem peaked in January this year when 12 wards were closed to admissions at one time.

It meant that patients who were due to be discharged became too ill to be moved, those awaiting operations who contracted Norwalk had their treatments put back until they recovered, and affected wards were closed to new admissions.

Staff levels were also affected, particularly because the quarantine period is 48 hours after symptoms cease.

Dr Louise Coole, consultant in communicable disease control at the North Yorkshire Health Protection Service, said the virus can be spread person to person by several routes - faecal-oral; vomiting; and food and water.

She said: "There is a great misconception that Norwalk (also called Norovirus) is hospital-acquired, but most often it is brought in by somebody.

"Although the Norwalk virus is relatively mild and symptoms are short-lived, it can have a huge impact on hospital activities. That's why we want to reduce the risk as much as possible.

"Large outbreaks can lead to ward and even hospital closure.

"The message is rather timely, as large outbreaks often occur in hospitals, residential and nursing homes during the winter months."

They also warn that patient stays in hospital may be longer because of the Norwalk virus.

Updated: 09:32 Saturday, October 11, 2003