Two elderly patients have died following a viral outbreak in a ward at Perth Royal Infirmary.

The suspected outbreak of gastroenteritis affected 21 patients and three members of staff in Tay ward, a geriatric unit in the hospital.

A spokesman for the hospital said that the two people who died were seriously ill before they contracted the virus.

The ward has been isolated and an outbreak control team has been set up.

An outbreak control team has been set up

Illness most often follows contact with someone else with the virus.

The symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps and usually improve within 48 hours.

There is no specific treatment for the symptoms other than taking in plenty liquids to prevent dehydration.

The outbreak follows a similar problem at a nursing home in Dundee where more than 50 patients and staff became ill.

Relatives have been asked to keep patient visits to a minimum while those infected have been told to stay home for 48 hours after their symptoms clear up.

Michael Lockhart, infection control doctor with Tayside Primary Care, said: "If anyone who has visited Tay Ward within the last few days experiences stomach upset or has symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, they should stay at home, contact their GP and make sure they take plenty of fluids and observe good hygiene."

Meanwhile, the latest figures from environmental health experts show a three-fold increase in winter vomiting this year.

More than 750 cases have been reported, compared to 218 for the same period last year.