Alliston, Ontario – A gastroenteritis outbreak declared at Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) on April 11 is officially over. The outbreak was declared after a number of patients and staff on the Medical Surgical Unit exhibited symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Special measures were put in place to limit further spread to patients and visitors were not allowed on the Medical Surgical Unit for a period of approximately 24 hours.

After controlling the outbreak and with no new admissions on the Medical Surgical Unit, family members were allowed to visit their loved ones on Sunday. Contact precautions were still in place and visitors and staff wore gloves, masks and gowns.

Today, the outbreak status has been lifted and visiting hours have returned to normal. The infection is still prevalent in the community and we remind the public that if they are ill they should not be visiting people in health-care facilities.  People may unknowingly bring the infection into hospital when visiting sick relatives or friends. The Hospital will continue to be vigilant in their infection control practices and surveillance to ensure no further illnesses.  

“Our staff who always do a stellar job, worked quickly and constantly to contain this outbreak,” said Gary Ryan, President and CEO of Stevenson Memorial Hospital. “Effective hand washing also helped to keep the illness from spreading,” he added.

”The staff at Stevenson Memorial Hospital worked very quickly and effectively to bring this outbreak under control,” said health unit Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Colin Lee. ”The public health unit and the Hospital worked hard together to minimize the risk to hospital patients and the general public.”

Proper Hand Hygiene is one of the best ways to fight the spread of disease.  People should always wash their hands with soap and warm water or alcohol based hand rub for at least 15 seconds.  They should ensure their hands are clean before preparing or eating food, after using the washroom, and before or after any person-to-person contact. Alcohol hand sanitizer is available throughout the Hospital and visitors are reminded to clean their hands before visiting their loved ones.