Four 5-year-old children from Colégio Mateus Ricci kindergarten caught viral gastroenteritis (also known as stomach flu) on Wednesday, the Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement.
According to the statement, three boys and a girl had symptoms such as vomiting, fever and stomachache on Wednesday. The statement said that they are not serious cases and none of the children needed to stay in hospital.
The statement said that after investigation, the bureau believed that the case is not related to food poisoning, adding that considering the time and symptoms, the bureau believed that the cause is a norovirus or rotavirus. However, the statement said that the bureau was still investigating the case, while further testing was arranged for the children.
According to the statement, the norovirus and rotavirus are common causes of stomach flu, pointing out that they are usually active during autumn and winter. The statement stressed that the norovirus is highly contagious, especially in retirement homes and schools and through contaminated food or water. The statement noted that the norovirus has a 24 to 48 hour incubation period.
Furthermore, the statement underlined that the rotavirus is more common among children aged 6 months to 2 years. The statement also said that the two kinds of viruses have similar symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, stomachache and fever, adding that the illness could last for up to five days.
The bureau urged people to be more aware of personal hygiene and not to attend work or school if they have symptoms of stomach flu. The statement said that if there are any cases of group stomach flu, please contact 2870 0800.
(The Macau Post Daily/Macau News)
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