Winter vomiting as it is also known is a community based virus and is very easily transmitted from one person to another in the home or in healthcare settings such as hospitals and residential and nursing homes.

Symptoms are typically nausea and vomiting and, in some cases diarrhoea and can last from 12 to 60 hours.

Debbie Fielding, Associate Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Anyone experiencing these symptoms should not visit Chorley and South Ribble Hospital and Royal Preston Hospital unless absolutely necessary.

“While for most people norovirus is an unpleasant but short lived illness, it can be more serious for patients receiving hospital treatment and we would like to minimise the disruption to hospital services that an outbreak can cause.”

Advice for preventing the spread of norovirus infection:

• Make sure you clean up vomit thoroughly and quickly with a bleach solution to minimise the spread of the virus.

• Wash hands thoroughly and regularly at all times, but particularly after toilet visits and before eating.

• Do not handle or prepare food for other people until you have been symptom free for a minimum period of 48 hours

• Stay away from work until you have been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours

• Do not visit friends or relatives in hospitals or residential care homes as there is a real risk that you would introduce the infection to the establishment

• Do not visit your GP surgery or local A and E unit.  Norovirus infection is a self-limiting illness and you will recover naturally without treatment.  It is however important to take plenty of drinks to replace lost fluids.

• If symptoms persist, phone NHS Direct or your family doctor for advice.

Norovirus infection is the most common case of gastro-intestinal illness in the UK, affecting between 600,000 and one million people every year.

For more information you should call your GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.