The Emergency Department at Peebles Hospital has been busier than usual for the past few weeks as an increased number of children and adults have been seeking treatment for diarrhea and vomiting.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Irad Potter indicated that at least 309 cases have been reported since January of this year, and there is a steady increase.
“We’ve been having cases of diarrhea off and on since January and the Emergency Room had about 107 cases (in January) and it ranged from 89 in February up to 113 in March. We had about an equal number in April and last weekend we had a large number of cases of vomiting and diarrhea which we think is due to a viral gastroenteritis,” he said.
The Chief Medical Officer further stated that viral gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach which is usually caused by different viruses.
It is usually a ‘self-limiting condition’ but people are at risk of dehydration and may vomit and pass a lot of loose stool.
“We advise the use of oral rehydration solutions and oral rehydration salts to replace fluid loss so that people can avoid becoming dehydrated,” Dr. Potter said.He noted that the problem of vomiting and diarrhea happens seasonally.
“The prevalence of viruses depends to some extent on the weather conditions, and to some extent the association with people who travel.
“A viral gastroenteritis is normally transmitted by contamination of water, food, and if a person does not practice good hygiene. We emphasize good sanitary practices, hands washing and good personal hygiene.”
