Bug in children's play area affects 15

If you fall ill, keep away from other people for 48 hours.

At least 15 people have become ill after contracting a virus from the children's play area of a Tauranga ten pin bowling venue.

Toi Te Ora - Public Health Service medical officer of health Dr Jim Miller said, in a written statement, the service had been notified of cases of norovirus gastroenteritis in at least nine preschool and primary aged children and six adults earlier this month.

He confirmed those affected had picked up the bug from the children's play area of a Tauranga ten pin bowling venue.

Mr Miller said the virus would most likely have been spread through person-to-person contact after exposure to an ill person.

Toi Te Ora investigated the outbreak and had since given the bowling alley advice on dealing with diarrhoea and vomiting episodes on the premises and effective cleaning, he said.

A request for further information, including the name of the bowling alley, and if any victims had been hospitalised was not answered by the time the Bay of Plenty Times went to print.

The bowling alley's management could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Norovirus is one of the most common causes of vomiting and diarrhoea illness with 50,000 cases in New Zealand every year. Although it does not usually cause severe illness it can be particularly harmful to the elderly, infants and people with poor immune systems. It is highly contagious.

Common ways of becoming infected include eating food or drinking water contaminated by faecal matter, person-to-person via tiny droplets hanging in the air from a person that has vomited or by touching contaminated surfaces.

Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhoea, fevers, headaches, muscle and joint aches, nausea and a lack of energy.

The symptoms usually occur within 48 hours of exposure to the virus and last two to three days. A person is most infectious when they have diarrhoea or have been vomiting.

No specific treatment is available but symptoms can be relieved by drinking plenty of fluids and taking paracetamol for the fever and pain. Using anti-diarrhoea medications is not usually necessary because the illness does not last long.

How do I protect myself and others from Norovirus?

Avoid visiting any facility that is experiencing a Norovirus outbreak.

Don't handle food if you have diarrhoea - you could spread the illness

Wash your hands after going to the toilet or changing nappies, playing or working with animals, being around people who are unwell and before handling food.

Airborne droplets of vomit can spread over a large area and settle on any surface so it's important to clean at least a few metres around the obviously affected area. Surfaces should be washed with soap and water to remove soiling before disinfecting with chlorine bleach.

Stay away from work, school or preschool when you have diarrhoea or vomiting and don't return until all symptoms have stopped for 48 hours.