HEREFORD County Hospital remains in the grip of the distressing winter vomiting disease which has led to the closure of some wards to new patients and a ban on most visitors.

Huge efforts are being made to contain the infection, known as norovirus, which has spread throughout hospitals across the UK.

One ward at the County Hospital, Leadon, was deep cleaned and brought back into use midweek.

But it is understood that six other wards remain closed to visitors and managers are cautious about predicting whether the outbreak is over the worst.

The all-clear can only be given 72 hours after the last outbreak and the same period has to elapse before an affected ward can be cleaned and used again.

Staff and patients have been hit by the bug and those on duty are working very hard to keep all the services going, said Katrina Wilcox, head of corporate affairs.

People have been asked not to visit patients - although special arrangements are made for the very ill, expectant parents and for child patients.

Some surgery at the hospital has been postponed but outpatient services are unaffected.

Leominster Community Hospital was hit by the same bug before Christmas and remained closed to new patients for three weeks, although all other services continued. The wards have now re-opened.

All health authorities, hospitals, GPs and outreach teams in Herefordshire have been working to cope with norovirus.

The illness is common in the winter, usually reaching a peak at this time, but Sue Doheny, director of operations with Herefordshire Primary Care Trust, said there was no evidence that the current situation was worse than normal.

GPs had not reported anything unusual but it was not known how many people in the community were affected.

Norovirus, which thrives in environments such as hospitals, nursing homes and schools, is mainly passed on by contact and can even be contracted through contaminated food and water.

The illness can come on quickly, and be unexplained, with some people developing sickness and diarrhoea without leaving their homes.

The best protection is hand hygiene, with regular washing.

The illness has to run its course and anyone affected is advised to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. When symptoms disappear, people should wait two days before returning to work or school.