THE Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust has admitted that the current outbreak of norovirus is the worst it has ever experienced.

Since July last year, the trust has only had a few weeks clear of the bug, which causes sudden onset diarrhoea and vomiting.

Up until the end of December, there had already been 326 cases, leading to 27 wards being closed for an average of seven days each, and 29 bays in wards being closed for an average of three days each.

The news comes after the Daily Echo reported the case of Bournemouth man Douglas Webber, who died at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital aged 81. The norovirus was listed as one of the causes on his death certificate.

Infection control consultant Dr Bill Gransden said norovirus outbreaks were being experienced all over the country, with the BBC reporting 100,000 cases a week.

"It's been sweeping the country. Figures from the Health Protection Agency show the highest number of cases we've had in the country since 2002. Cases this year are almost double the same time last year. What we don't know is whether it's a new strain."

Dr Gransden said the outbreak seemed to have started earlier in the year than normal and gone on for longer. A report to the hospital's board last week described it as the trust's "most sustained to date".

He explained: "It always affects places where people are crowded together, sadly often in hospitals, but often in nurseries, cruise ships and nursing homes. All those have been affected this year, both here and abroad.

"When we get a case on a ward, because it's so infectious, we hardly ever get just one. If the patient has had sudden vomiting, other people may have already been in contact and are at risk of developing infection no matter what we do.

"We then stop new patients going into that ward and restrict visitors coming in from outside, because it's out in the community as well."

At the moment, there are five bays closed on different wards and Dr Gransden said members of the public could help the hospitals by staying away if they have had any symptoms in the previous 48 hours.

He described norovirus as "miserable and unpleasant", but said it was usually self-limiting and rarely caused serious problems.