Norovirus outbreak at Wrexham Maelor Hospital

An outbreak of the norovirus has caused Wrexham Maelor Hospital to close to all visitors.

People won't be able visit relatives as the health board try to stop the bug from spreading.

The only exceptions to this will be:

Maternity Unit - Significant person only
Paediatrics - Parents only
Adult wards - Families of terminally or critically ill patients only

Admissions to hospital and all outpatients departments will continue to run normally.  Signs to guide visitors are in place.  A daily review is in place and the public will be informed when the restrictions are lifted.

A spokeswoman for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board says:

"The ideal environment for this virus to spread is any place where large number of people mix together which is why outbreaks of the illness are particularly common in hospitals.  As this virus spreads easily from one person to another, by restricting visitors, we hope to contain and eliminate the virus by avoiding contact with as many people as possible until at least 48 hours after symptoms have cleared."

The main symptoms of norovirus infection are sudden nausea, stomach ache followed by severe 'projectile' vomiting and or diarrhoea.  You may also have a slight fever, headache, stomach cramps and aching limbs.  Symptoms usually begin between 12 - 48 hours after a person becomes infected, with most healthy people making a recovery within one to three days; however young children and elderly people can sometimes suffer complications, the most frequent of which is dehydration.