'Significant' increase in gastrointestinal illness in Windsor-Essex long-term care, retirement homes

Ten long-term care facilities and retirement homes in Windsor-Essex are currently facing outbreaks of a gastrointestinal illness consistent with norovirus.

That's a significant increase over December, according to the region's medical officer of health.

"We actually found the early signals of activity in the last weeks ... and we flagged this," said Dr. Mehdi Aloosh. "We're working with our facilities to contain those outbreaks."

The outbreaks come as more than 190 students at the University of Guelph have fallen ill with gastroenteritis, commonly known as stomach flu.

At least one sample from the school has tested positive for norovirus – a leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea – according to Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it is seeing higher-than-expected case counts of norovirus. Health officials in the U.S. and U.K. have also reported a rise in norovirus cases.

Outbreaks of norovirus are common and expected in the winter, Aloosh said.

Dr. Mehdi Aloosh is the new Medical Officer of Health for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, pictured in a May 2023 file photo. (Katerina Georgieva/CBC)

The health unit has not received any reports of deaths or significant complications associated with the outbreaks.

The illness is typically self-limiting, and the majority of people get well, he said.

But norovirus is highly contagious, he added.

People can catch it from shaking hands with infected people or touching surfaces that infected people have touched if those individuals have not washed their hands regularly.

It's also possible to catch the virus by eating food prepared by an infected person who hasn't washed their hands.

Regular hand-washing is key to prevention, Aloosh said.

Anyone who develops symptoms of gastroenteritis should stay home until 24 to 48 hours after their symptoms have resolved in order to avoid infecting others.