Four children who attend a West Fife nursery have been confirmed as suffering from Salmonella group B infection.

NHS Fife said that the cases were identified in early October and none of the children are seriously ill.

GPs and other health professionals in Fife have been informed, and NHS Fife is working with Fife Council and others to look into possible sources of infection.

Parents of children at the nursery, which has not been named, have been advised to contact their GP surgery if their child experiences diarrhoea or vomiting and to keep the child away from nursery until they have been symptom-free for 48 hours.

Dr Margaret Hannah, NHS Fife deputy director of public health, said, “We are continuing to work with our environmental health colleagues to see if any particular source of this infection can be identified.  “Meanwhile, I would like to remind parents that any child with diarrhoea needs to be kept away from school or nursery until 48 hours after symptoms have settled.   “If symptoms persist, they should seek medical attention from their GP.”   Salmonella is a bacterial infection that generally affects the gut, causing gastroenteritis.

Symptoms can last for several days and include diarrhoea, stomach pains, fever, flu-like symptoms, nausea or vomiting.

NHS Fife said that washing hands is a very simple and the most important way to avoid spreading the infection.