Suspected and laboratory-confirmed reported norovirus outbreaks in hospitals: outbreaks occurring in weeks 9 to 13, 2018
Updated 25 January 2019
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The hospital norovirus outbreak reporting scheme (HNORS) recorded 50 outbreaks occurring between weeks 9 and 13, 2018, 47 of which (94%) led to ward/bay closures or restriction to admissions and 34 (68%) were recorded as laboratory-confirmed due to norovirus. Between week 1 (week beginning 1 January 2018) and week 13 (week beginning 26 March 2018) 145 outbreaks have been reported. Ninety-six percent (139) of reported outbreaks resulted in ward/bay closures or restrictions to admissions and 77% (112) were laboratory-confirmed as due to norovirus.
Suspected and laboratory-confirmed reported norovirus outbreaks in hospitals, with regional breakdown: outbreaks occurring in weeks 9 to 13 of 2018.
| Region/PHE Centre | Outbreaks between weeks 9 to 13/2018 | Total outbreaks weeks 2018 to date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outbreaks | Ward/bay closure* | Lab-confirmed | Outbreaks | Ward/bay closure* | Lab-confirmed | |
| East of England | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| East Midlands | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| London | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – |
| North East | 7 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 19 | 15 |
| North West | 6 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 18 | 14 |
| South East | 6 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 11 |
| South West | 11 | 11 | 9 | 27 | 26 | 22 |
| West Midlands | 10 | 10 | 5 | 39 | 37 | 27 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 6 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| Total | 50 | 47 | 34 | 145 | 139 | 112 |
* 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, 2017, to week 13, 2018), there were 2603 laboratory reports of norovirus. This is 1% higher than the average number of laboratory reports for the same period in the seasons between 2013 and 2017 (2568).
† 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.