A joint probe has been launched into an illness outbreak on a Perthshire school trip that left Carnoustie pupils needing “sick bags” seconds after returning on the bus.
The Courier reported that children from Burnside Primary School experienced diarrhoea, vomiting and severe stomach pains during and after their three-night Easter holiday stay at Dalguise Activity Centre, near Dunkeld.
At least three pupils were taken to hospital, with one of their parents saying their son was “screaming” to be taken in for treatment.
And now a joint investigation into last week’s outbreak at PGL Dalguise has been launched.
NHS Tayside and Perth and Kinross Council launch probe
An NHS Tayside spokesperson said its health protection team is working with council environmental health officers to probe “a number of cases of suspected viral gastrointestinal illness at an activity centre in Perthshire.”
Their statement added: “NHS Tayside and Perth and Kinross Council have worked closely with staff at the facility.
“Appropriate advice has been provided to the people affected and no one is seriously ill.”
The statement added that gastroenteritis is a very common condition that causes diarrhoea and vomiting.
“It is most commonly caused by a virus (such as norovirus), but can also result from bacterial infection,” it continued.
Carnoustie pupils needed ‘sick bags’ after Dalguise trip
While a viral outbreak would be passed among children, a bacterial illness may have been picked up somewhere at Dalguise between Tuesday and Friday last week.
Sharon Larg took her 11-year-old son Corey Flynn to hospital within hours of collecting him from Burnside on Friday.
She told The Courier: “We were there when the bus came back to the school and within minutes of the door opening teachers were rushing around with sick bags.
“There was at least one child being sick.
“We managed to go to a party on Friday night and it was during this that Corey began feeling unwell.
“We brought him home and he was screaming to go to the hospital.
“We’ve had stomach bugs before but this was not a normal stomach bug.
“He was feeling sick, his stomach was really sore.
“He was complaining about a headache as well.
“I phoned NHS 24 and, while on the phone to them, he started vomiting.
“I have never seen a child so sick.”
Outbreak follows illness last year
After calling NHS 24 at 10pm, by 1.15am on Saturday morning he was being treated at King’s Cross Hospital.
Corey was given medication and soon stopped being sick, but was sent home from school on Tuesday after complaining to teachers that his stomach was still sore.
The outbreak comes less than a year after Dalguise was forced to close temporarily due to several school children and staff falling ill with a sickness bug.
“There’s something not sitting right about it,” Sharon added.
“It is so coincidental that pretty much the same thing has happened before.
“I feel that we have sent our kids away to be ill.”
Pupil in ‘serious pain’ on return
Chris Martin said his son Kaiden, 11, was taken to King’s Cross and Ninewells hospitals on Friday after he was “violently sick” and in “serious pain” on his return from Dalguise.
The Carnoustie dad says he was told by Ninewells medics that blood tests showed his son had bacterial gastroenteritis.
“Lots of parents have also had it since they have come back,” he said.
A spokesperson for PGL Dalguise said: “We can confirm that there have been a few cases of sickness amongst one group of guests at our Dalguise centre.
“The safety and security of our guests and team is our number one priority, and as soon as we were made aware we informed the local health authorities, closed off the room and undertook a deep clean of the infected area.
“We are continuing to review the situation and are in close contact with the impacted school, and hope that all affected recover quickly.
“We can confirm that we have had no connected sickness amongst any of the other 450 guests, or team at the centre.”
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
