Army recruits hit by gastric flu

More than 300 army recruits have been treated for a highly infectious gastric flu at two training centres, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The Army Training regiments sites at Sir John Moore Barracks in Winchester, Hants, and at Pirbright, near Woking, in Surrey have seen 303 cases of the unknown bug since last week.

Of these 110 - 90 in Pirbright and 20 in Winchester - have the condition in a severe form and are "bedded down" in medical blocks suffering vomiting and diarrhoea.

The rest have suffered a mild form of the virus and a handful needed hospital treatment but have now been released, a spokeswoman said.

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