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Gastroenteritis in a RACF

Under the NSW Public Health Act 2010, residential aged care facilities are required to notify suspected  

outbreaks of gastroenteritis to their local Public Health Unit. 

Gastrointestinal outbreak definition 

A gastrointestinal illness outbreak is defined as two or more people (staff or residents) with new onset of diarrhoea or vomiting at any one time in any institution.  

Actions to follow in a suspected gastroenteritis outbreak

  • Isolate symptomatic residents. 
  • Follow the guidelines on increasing infection control measures such as:  
  • Personal protective equipment 
  • Cohorting residents and staff to their wings or floors  
  • Excluding symptomatic staff from work until 48 hours have passed since their last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea 
  • Enhanced and increased cleaning and disinfection of contaminated and commonly touched surfaces.  
  • Inform the facility infection control practitioner & facility management. 
  • Put up signage about the current outbreak so they are visible throughout the centre. Posters can be printed from the Gastroenteritis kit for aged care webpage. 
  • Note that residents, staff and visitors are advised to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds during a gastroenteritis illness outbreak. Alcohol-based hand sanitiser is not effective against norovirus, a common pathogen causing gastroenteritis.  
  • Contact the Public Health Unit by phone (02) 9382 8333 or email. There is no need to wait for test results before contacting the Public Health Unit. 
  • Collect faecal specimens for laboratory testing.  
  • If transferring a resident (with or without symptoms) to hospital during an outbreak, notify the paramedics and hospital that the facility is experiencing a  gastrointestinal illness outbreak. 

Monitoring the gastrointestinal illness outbreak 

  • The Public Health Unit will ask the facility to complete the online Gastroenteritis outbreak in an Aged Care Facility survey.  
  • If the outbreak definition is met, the facility will be sent a link to submit a list of residents and staff with their symptoms and test results 
  • A viral gastroenteritis outbreak is declared over when there are no other further occurrences of vomiting or diarrhoea for 72 hours after the last onset of symptoms. 

To contact the Public Health Unit email or phone 02 9382 8333.  

For urgent after-hours advice, call Prince of Wales Hospital switchboard on 02 9382 2222