PETERBOROUGH — Monadnock Community Hospital staffers were greeting visitors with hand sanitizers and surgical masks yesterday, as they sought to play it safe after noticing an increase in the number of patients with symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. And at press time, hospital officials said the precautionary measures would remain in effect at least through today.

“Its not unusual to see an uptick in symptoms of gastrointestinal illness this time of year,” said Dr. Phil Vuocolo, the hospital’s chief medical officer, in a press release about the precautions being taken. “Symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea can be really uncomfortable and, depending on their cause, can be very contagious. Norovirus is the most common cause of these symptoms. We are exercising an abundance of caution to help ensure our patients, visitors and employees stay healthy given the number of people we see traveling in and out of our facility each day.”

Staff members throughout the hospital were wearing masks yesterday, and when people arrived for appointments or to visit patients, they were asked to wash their hands with a quick-drying antibacterial soap and don a facemask.

A handout being given to employees and visitors stated that the hospital was experiencing “a number of cases with symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain.” According to the handout, hospitals throughout the state have seen similar increases in the number of people with such symptoms.

The handout asked employees arriving at work and visitors to the hospital not to enter the building if they had experienced the symptoms of gastrointestinal illness in the previous 48 hours. Visitation was limited to direct family members, who were asked to wear a protective gown and mask in the hospital, and children were discouraged from visiting.

Laura Gingras, the hospital’s vice president of community relations, said patients with appointments should plan to keep them. She said there have been no confirmed cases of norovirus at the hospital.

A fact sheet about norovirus from the Center for Disease Control was also being made available at the hospital entrances. According to the CDC, norovirus — also known as the stomach bug, stomach flu, and viral gastroenteritis — can make people extremely ill, with ongoing diarrhea and vomiting, although most people get better within one or two days. It is highly contagious and can spread rapidly, especially in closed environments like daycare center and nursing homes.

“When symptoms like this are in our community, we can all help limit the spread by frequent hand washing, particularly when caring for a family member or loved one who’s sick,” said Vuocolo in the hospital’s press release.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience with this process,” said Peter Gosline, the hospital’s chief executive officer, in the press release. “These procedures may feel inconvenient and take a few extra minutes as patients arrive for their appointments, but we feel it is in everyone’s best interest to be a little extra vigilant at this time.”

This article appeared in the Jan. 24, 2012, edition of the Ledger-Transcript.