Northern Health issues advisory on gastrointestinal illness

Northern Health has relayed word on a significant increase in gastrointestinal illness in the Northwest, taking to their website on Monday to provide some background on the outbreak, as well as to offer up some of the precautions that residents should take.

The virus is easily spread when those who are infected do not adequately wash their hands and contaminate commonly used surfaces or food.

Large gatherings and public facilities, such as camps, schools, day care and Seniors facilities are locations where gastrointestinal illness can spread.

To guard against the prospect of helping to spread the illness, Northern Health recommends that residents of the Northwest who may be sick should stay home.

To help in containing the issue, all should engage in proper hand washing and ensure that surface areas are properly sanitized.

On Friday, CFNR outlined that a number of workers at the Rio Tinto Alcan camp in Kitimat as well as a long term care facility in the community had suffered symptoms of the illness.

For more information see their notice from the Northern Health website