A VIRULENT gastroenteritis bug has closed a ward to new patients at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Admissions to ward 4 - a general medicine ward - were stopped yesterday. Existing patients are still being treated on the ward. Patients showing symptoms of the bug are being moved into side wards for treatment. All other wards at HRI remain open.

Infection control lead nurse Carole Hallam said: "I would urge people to think hard before they visit hospital if they have symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches and abdominal pain. If you do not need to visit - please don't for the sake of our patients and staff.

"If it is essential that you visit, please decontaminate your hands with the alcohol gel when entering and leaving the wards and only stay with the patient you are visiting."

Variations of norovirus are quite common in hospitals - especially in the winter. An outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting hit wards last month at HRI and Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.