Cases of diarrhoea have surged in Leeds according to GP data

Doctors in the area reported seeing 89 patients with toilet trouble during the week ending November 15

That was an increase of 24 per cent compared to the previous week, and means 18.4 in every 100,000 people in the area had symptoms.

Public Health England monitors levels of diarrhoea through its GP surgery symptoms tracker.

Across Yorkshire and the Humber, an average of 21.3 in every 100,000 people were afflicted.

But the number of cases in Leeds was still one per cent lower than what would be expected when compared to the national average.

What causes diarrhoea?

There are numerous causes of diarrhoea including viruses, bacterial infections, and even parasites.

Diarrhoea can be a symptom of norovirus, known as the winter vomiting bug, a highly contagious stomach virus which runs rampant in the colder months.

It is one of the many viruses which cause gastroenteritis – an infection of the gastrointestinal tract that leads to diarrhoea and vomiting. Both gastroenteritis and vomiting are tracked separately in the surveillance system.

In Leeds, doctors saw five cases of vomiting per 100,000 people in the latest week – 26 per cent than the England average.

For gastroenteritis, there were 28.8 cases per 100,000, three per cent below the national rate.

The NHS advises people with diarrhoea or vomiting to stay home and get plenty of rest, drink lots of liquids and seek help from a pharmacist if you show signs of dehydration.

What about the rest of Yorkshire and the Humber?

The council areas in Yorkshire and the Humber ranked from highest to lowest diarrhoea prevalence last week are:

East Riding of Yorkshire - 44.7 per 100,000 people

York - 37.8 per 100,000 people

Rotherham - 34.6 per 100,000 people

North East Lincolnshire - 34 per 100,000 people

North Yorkshire - 26.2 per 100,000 people

North Lincolnshire - 23 per 100,000 people

Doncaster - 22.6 per 100,000 people

Sheffield - 22.2 per 100,000 people

Calderdale - 20.8 per 100,000 people

Kirklees - 19.5 per 100,000 people

Barnsley - 18.9 per 100,000 people

Leeds - 18.4 per 100,000 people

Hull - 15 per 100,000 people

Wakefield - 14.1 per 100,000 people

Bradford - 9.1 per 100,000 people