02 Oct 2012
The number of cases of a vomiting and diarrhoea bug affecting children in Germany that have eaten food from school cafeterias and daycare centres has increased, according to health authorities.
Figures from officials in Berlin and surrounding eastern German states show that the number of case of gastroenteritis has risen from around 4,500 to 8,400.
Most cases are moderate, with children recovering within two days without hospital intervention, the Berlin health department said.
The authorities said that laboratory tests are being carried out to determine the cause of the outbreak. German news agency dapd reported that norovirus had been confirmed as the cause in at least 16 cases in Saxony state.
The government-affiliated Robert Koch Institute said it was likely that the food at the schools and daycare centres had come from a single supplier.
Copyright Press Association 2012