artep

Ever since we got here last April we've all had sooo many bugs and viruses etc. It's mainly been the kids as they pick 'em up from school but we've all been much sicker here than we ever were in the uk. My daughter's had the most of it....she seems to always have something or other! She's been ill all this week and now I have my eldest off school sick too

A friend of mine here reckons its just a case of we're all getting used to the 'bugs' here. Anyone else been like this?

cranni

Its funny isnt it, we arrived here and they sprayed the plane before we got off so we did not bring anything in, everybody on the plane was coughing and spluttering all the way here, i was ill for weeks.
My kids have had everything going , but no more than Uk really, maybe its just the weather change, and there just happens to be lots of bugs going round. My son has been much better with his asthma though, which is great, and he seems to have been the healthiest.Denise

spalen

Its all these mutant aussie viruses (aus versions of same things we get in UK etc) - the kids (and you) have no immunity to them. So they can run rampant in your body until your immune system beats them and you build up resilience.

Its true - our aussie doctor told us.


Personally I think aussie viruses are better than english ones, they're cheaper, and they're more friendly. I dont mind having to go to different places to get them instead of getting them all in one place I think its quaint. You can even get aussie viruses drive through - amazing.

Hels

In my part of Oz they even Home-Deliver!!

ozboundperth

Same here, as soon as our daughter started school she has gone down with everything going, things that she never got in the U.K, but l also think its just the different bugs and virus`s here, hopefully they will get their immunity built up against them soon,

artep

Try telling that to my 9 year old when she's heaving down the toilet..again...after throwing up in her sleep in bed ...mind you...she prob wouldn't understand a word of it...her temperature has had her talking total gobbledegook

Fortunately she seems to over the worst of it today though....back to her usual verbal diahorrea!!!

jad n rich

Did ya watch telly last night, rotavirus has had 10,000 kids down already, rotavirus is a particuarly nasty gastro symptom virus that surfaces in OZ in spring, usually starts in childcare centres and is highly contagious. Last november about a third of one school was down with it another one closed.
Mine take the anti bac wipes to school to wipe hands before they eat seems to help a bit as theres only cold water in schools, no soap or hand drying facilities its expensive but one less puke virus is good enough for me

Wave the Sails

Sorry to hear that.....

See a thread I started a while back:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=318052

Wave the Sails

If you've already had rotavirus does it make you less likely to catch it again, or to make it less severe?

Littlen and I had it in Singapore. There was a sickness bug going round his Centre last week and he caught it, but didn't seem to be as bad as the others (can you believe it for a change )

artep

Crikey Mrs J...I feel we've got off quite lightly now after reading your thread! How are things now???

That's a good idea. It never really occured to me that there wouldn't be soap in school...that's bad. There are a few issues I have with my kids' school....fleas being one of them...but that's another story entirely :scared:

Xgeminix

OMG :scared: Does that apply to schools in WA also? I'm a complete hygiene freak!!!

Bella Donna

Yep, it is true. But you don't need to move to Oz for that problem. We moved just five miles down the road and found we got everything that was going in the new village. These things tend to be very localised.

I think all the stress that goes hand in hand with emigration, and the tiredness, coupled with different food and water, has the effect of lowering the immune system, which of course makes some people susceptible to catching everything that's going. Dd had a gastro-enteritic bug earlier this year which I'd be surprised to find here. Poor kid threw up 35 times in 21 hours. She couldn't even keep water down. I doubt Oz has anything that could rival that - but I may be wrong, of course...

Perish the thought.... :scared:

Sue

artep

OMG poor girlie!!

Bella Donna

It was certainly dire. Poor kid - but she was full of beans and bus tickets (and not a lot else! ) the next day. As you say, back to verbal diarrhoea....

She doesn't get these sick bugs very often, but when she does....eeeyewww. Doesn't help that I am terrified of being sick! Dh has to take over when she throws up - I can just about cope if he isn't, but I don't cope well, I'll tell you.

Dreamaway 10

Having read these posts it has really put me off and to be honest worried me some what.
Its bad enough here when your kids first start school my little boy got everything going when he first started.Now he is fine as he has built up his immunity.
Would you say that these sickness bugs are worse in Oz than in the Uk then?
Maybe as it gets so hot they are worse as they do not get killed off like they do here if we have a cold winter.
I already am feeling really nervous about the whole thing taking my children away from their friends etc and it will be even worse if they get ill a lot when they first arrive.To be totally honest I am dreading it.
We are looking at heading out where you are ,I suppose its just one of those things but cannot help but really worry.