Total of 96 new cases of norovirus confirmed at Winter Olympics

A total of 96 new cases of norovirus have been confirmed at the Winter Olympics in South Korea, taking the overall number of sufferers to 128.

The outbreak, which causes sudden and violent vomiting and diarrhoea, sprang up on Sunday, when 41 security guards were taken to hospital.

Organisers were forced to draft in hundreds of soldiers to replace security staff hit by the bug, with 1,200 security guards confined to their rooms due to the severe stomach virus.

The source of the virus is not yet known, but all the security guards were staying together at a youth training centre in Pyeongchang, separate from the main Olympic sites.

Food and water sources at the mountainside facility are now being examined, as well as 18 other facilities that rely on groundwater.

Hand sanitisers have been installed at Games venues and the athletes' village, and organisers say any reported cases of Norovirus will result in speedy disinfection of affected areas.

The highly-contagious virus, which can be spread through food or water contamination, is best tackled with good hand washing and personal hygiene.