St Kitts and Nevis has once again addressed the issue of acute gastroenteritis on island.
The St Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) says according to a report from the Chief Medical Officer, over the past few weeks several children and adults in the Federation have been diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis (AGE).
It notes this outbreak of AGE is not unique to St Kitts and Nevis, and that a similar trend is observed in several CARICOM member states.
It is reported the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has noted a multi-country increase in reported cases of AGE in children and adults and based on epidemiological information, the most likely cause of this AGE multi-country outbreak is Norovirus.
Norovirus was confirmed on more than one of the cruise ships travelling in the Caribbean and the UK Health Security Agency reports a sharp increase in confirmed cases of norovirus in recent weeks.
Norovirus can only be confirmed through laboratory testing.
Samples were sent off to CARPHA for analysis on Monday, March 27, 2023.
Norovirus (NOV) is highly contagious and causes the most outbreaks of non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis in all age groups. It causes outbreaks in schools, nursing homes, prisons, hospitals and in other settings.
The signs and symptoms include low-grade fever, malaise, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.