Killer virus: five elderly people die in one month
A highly infectious respiratory virus is being blamed for the deaths of five elderly people at a nursing home in Westmead, Sydney.
According to reports, 50 people contracted Respiratory Syncitial Virus at Mayflower Nursing Home, which is akin to a severe chest infection.
Contagious like a common cold, the illness spread rapidly and Mayflower reportedly put infection control procedures in place, they were compelled to close the facility to the public.
NSW Health inspected the nursing home when the outbreak was reported and found no obvious breach of protocols or hygiene.
"A number of those people became quite ill and unfortunately some of those people did die," says Dr Vicky Sheppeard from NSW Health addressing the unusual loss of five people within the same facility in a month.
"It's been extraordinarily difficult, it's been very sad and the staff have at all times worked to the standards we really expect of them." she continued.
It is believed that the infection was brought into the nursing home by a visitor.
Currently there is no vaccine to protect against Respiratory Syncitial Virus.
