Public Health Experts Call For Thorough Investigation Into Suspected Norovirus Outbreak

Specialist Public Health lawyers at national law firm Irwin Mitchell have called for a thorough investigation into a suspected norovirus outbreak at a Welsh primary school.

Public Health Wales and Newport County Council have been informed of the illness outbreak at the Milton Junior School, which affected more than 85 children and five members of staff, and have urged parents to keep children who are suffering with symptoms away from school until they subside.

Reports suggest 17 children were affected on Wednesday (25 May) but by the end of the following school day the illness had spread through the school, impacting over 85 children.

A deep clean of the school is expected to take place today and during the half-term holiday.

Jennifer Mullins, an expert Public Health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who has represented those affected by large scale illness outbreaks, both in the UK and abroad, said:

Expert Opinion

“It is welcome that the local authority has warned parents generally not to send their children to school if they show symptoms of norovirus in order to prevent the illness from spreading any further, and also that they have taken steps to close Milton Junior School.

“This is the third large illness outbreak reported at schools across the country in recent weeks and it is important that a thorough investigation is conducted into each of these outbreaks to establish if the measures in place to deal with these incidents are sufficient.

“We have seen through our work that gastric illnesses of this nature can be particularly dangerous for young people and can have a long-term impact on their health.

“Due to the number of young people falling ill, it is clear that many people will be seeking answers and it is vital that the parents of those affected understand what caused their child’s illness.” Jennifer Hodgson - Associate Solicitor

A spokesman for Public Health Wales said: “Public Health Wales has today been notified of a significant number of pupils at a school in the Newport area suffering from sickness. There are several potential causes including some infections, however we are looking into the situation with colleagues from the environmental health team at Newport County Council.”

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