'Gastro surge season' common at this time of year - Professor Mignon McCulloch

CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit speaks to Professor Mignon McCulloch of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape (UCT).

Listen below:

"There's a bug going around..."

We're hearing it at the office, from friends, and family.

Is the tummy bug season worse this year?

Some schools are sending notices to parents warning about an increase in tummy bug cases, imploring them to keep kids at home if they're visibly ill.

The City of Cape Town also issued a statement saying there's been a decrease of cases in school kids presenting with diarrhoea and that the number of cases is 'quite normal for this time of the year'.

Professor McCulloch echoes the sentiment that 'there's no reason to panic' because 'it's pretty common' during this time, often dubbed 'the gastro surge season'.

"Tummy bugs are quite frequent but we do see an increase between February, March, April - in the hot summer months - of tummy bugs, vomiting, diarrhoea... and the problem with these bugs is that they're quite contagious."

- Mignon McCulloch, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital

"We often call it the gastro surge season. There's no reason to panic at this stage but I think it's pretty common."

- Mignon McCulloch, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital

If you or your children experience diarrhoea with blood or incessant vomiting without being able to keep fluids down, then there is cause for concern, explains McCulloch. 

To keep safe during the gastro season, McCulloch prescribes: 

• Lots of liquids as long as it doesn't carry too much sugar.
• Wash and sanitise your hands after using the toilet and before eating with warm, soapy water. 
• Keep food refrigerated and ensure there are no flies around if any food is left out. 
• If anyone in the family has a tummy bug - stay home, wash your hands and sanitise surfaces.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.