PATIENTS on 10 wards at Wrexham Maelor Hospital have been displaying signs of winter vomiting bug norovirus.

In total, 99 patients have been affected since the outbreak started.

Now Wrexham Maelor is asking people to think twice about visiting friends and relatives in hospital.

Patients on 10 wards have displayed signs of the illness, also known as winter vomiting disease, with the first cases appearing before Christmas. In some cases they were admitted because of the illness, in others symptoms developed after they came into hospital.

Hospital spokesman Andy Scotson said: “This bug is a particular problem, not just in hospitals, because it spreads so easily from person to person, through direct contact and also through the air.

“To help us control the current situation, we are asking people to cut back on visiting friends and relatives on the affected wards unless it is absolutely necessary. In particular, we want to discourage children from coming onto the wards.

“As well as reducing the risk of further infection being inadvertently carried into the hospital from outside, we don’t want visitors to be at risk of picking up the illness which they could then take back home.

“We especially ask anyone who has had diarrhoea or vomiting not to visit until they have been clear of symptoms for 48 hours.”

Patients who are due to come into hospital for operations need not be concerned as patients are not being admitted to wards affected by the outbreak. Likewise clinics and outpatient work continues as normal.

Everyone can help protect themselves from norovirus, as well as other illnesses, by making sure they follow good hand hygiene, whether in hospital, at home or out and about.