Gastroenteritis outbreak management for early childhood education and care settings  

A gastro outbreak is when more than one person has vomiting and/or diarrhoea among children or staff within 48 hours of each other. If these symptoms can’t be explained by medication or another medical condition, it may mean there is an outbreak. 

You can identify a gastro outbreak – you do not need a doctor to check the sick child or staff member. 

If you’re unsure or need advice, contact the Western Public Health Unit on 1800 497 111 (7 days a week).  

Let WPHU know

Call WPHU on 1800 497 111, 7 days a week and ask to speak with a Public Health Officer. 

The Public Health Officer will ask you:

• how many children or staff are sick   
• what symptoms do they have 
• when did they start being sick and are they still sick 
• the best phone number and person for us to call at your service.

Don’t worry if you don’t have all this information, just share what you know at the time. 

Keeping a list

We will ask you to download the gastroenteritis outbreak list below. Please read the instructions in this document, fill it in and email the list to wphu@wh.org.au by the next business day. 

Take action

To stop the spread of gastro please:

• keep children and staff who are unwell at home
• share information about gastro with parents and carers and put up posters about gastro
• remind everyone to wash their hands carefully  
• start cleaning and disinfecting areas where the people who are sick have been
• collect faecal (poo) samples
• change the activities you are doing – see this page for guidance
• ask kitchen staff to keep any leftover food and label it “not for use.”

Click here for what to do during a gastro outbreak in your early learning centre.

Don’t wait, notify early

• If you think there is a gastro outbreak, call WPHU on 1800 497 111 (7 days a week). 
• Early reporting helps prevent more people from getting sick and ends the outbreak faster. 

Preventing infection

• Make sure your centre has clear infection control procedures. 
• For more information, see Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services (6th Edition).

Hand hygiene

• Wash hands well with soap and water to prevent gastro. 
• Alcohol-based hand sanitisers do not work against gastro. 

Staff education and personal protective equipment (PPE)

• Staff must be trained and confident in managing gastro outbreaks. 
• Staff must know how to recognise an outbreak, follow cleaning and safety steps, and use PPE correctly. 
• Centres should have enough supplies of:
  • PPE: gloves, gowns, masks, eyewear
  • Hand cleaning products: soap, paper towels
  • Cleaning materials: detergent, chlorine disinfectant
• Have a policy to restock supplies before they run out.

For more information, see section 9 in A Guide to the Management and Control of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in Children’s Centres. 

Is bleach safe around children?

Yes. Chlorine-based disinfectants (bleach) are recommended to manage gastro outbreaks. 

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using them. 
• Bleach must always be stored in a safe and secure place, out of reach of children. 
• To learn how to mix bleach safely for use during an outbreak, click here. 

For more information, see Industry Guide for Children Services Centres. 

Guidelines and procedures

• Victorian Department of Health A Guide to the Management and Control of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in Children’s Centres 
  • Appendix 1A Chlorine dilutions quick guide 
  • Appendix 1B Environmental cleaning quick guide 
  • Appendix 5 Signage – Children’s services centre visitors and staff 
• Victorian Department of Health School exclusion table for primary schools and children’s services 
• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services – 6th Edition 

Western Public Health Unit content

• How to collect a poo sample