Flu is the likely cause of the deaths of five elderly residents at a Broughty Ferry nursing home, NHS Tayside said last night.
An investigation has been under way since a 74-year-old man and women aged 81, 88, 90 and 91 died within two days of each other early last week.
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said: “NHS Tayside’s health protection team is investigating an outbreak of Influenza A infection in the Orchar Nursing Home, in conjunction with ongoing Tayside Police inquiries.
“The Influenza A virus has caused infection in a number of care home residents and has been identified as a likely cause of death in five residents. All appropriate infection control measures have been put in place in the care home and there is no increased risk to the wider public.”
She added that flu can be a very serious illness among the elderly or those with chronic health problems.
The spokeswoman said: “People should be aware of the simple measures they can take to reduce the risk of infection.
“These include always covering your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, disposing of tissues quickly and frequently washing hands with soap and water.”
The home, in Beach Crescent, can look after up to 40 residents. It is not known how many of them have fallen ill.
Flu usually claims the lives of hundreds of people every year in the UK, although the death toll can be much higher during epidemics.
The most common complication is a bacterial chest infection, which can sometimes develop into pneumonia, and the illness can become life-threatening, particularly in the frail and elderly.
The funerals of three of the Orchar residents had to be postponed after their bodies were taken to a police mortuary for post-mortem examinations. The funerals of the other two had been scheduled to take place this week but it remains unclear if these can go ahead.ComplaintsIt has also emerged that the care home has had five official complaints made against it since 2009.
The Care Inspectorate looked into allegations involving the general health and welfare of residents, along with concerns about staffing levels and staff training.
All of the complaints were either fully or partly upheld and requirements were placed on the home to bring about improvements.
The most recent complaint, which was partly upheld, was in mid-February and the home was given four weeks to “ensure that care plans clearly direct staff towards the required support needs of residents”.
Orchar Nursing Home, like all care homes in Scotland, is subject to scrutiny by the Care Inspectorate, which has its HQ in Dundee.
Inspectors are responsible for carrying out visits to check on how homes are being run and they give four indicator grades care and support, the environment, staffing and leadership and management.
The most recent visit to Orchar, in September, saw a “good” rating being given for care and support, although the other three criteria were not looked at at that time.
Previously, care and support and leadership and management were both given “weak” ratings as a result of an upheld complaint.
The home does have a good record for meeting the requirements placed on it by inspectors.
The last inspection report said: “The manager demonstrated commitment to providing good quality care through ongoing staff training.
“Discussions with staff confirmed that their access to training had a direct impact on their understanding and knowledge which had led to improvements for people using the service.
“All of the assessment information and care plans were regularly reviewed, to guide staff how best to meet the health and wellbeing needs of people using the service.”