Parents urged to keep kids at home amid Adelaide's gastro case surge

Parents have been urged to keep their children at home amid Adelaide's surge in gastro cases.

SA Health has been notified of 60 outbreaks at childcare centres and aged care facilities across the state this month.

A huge spike compared to the four notifications during the same period last year.

And doctors say the start of the school year has only made it worse.

"Hit by the first day of school, a whole lot of people have got infections," General Practitioner Dr Rod Pearce told 9News.

"But the interesting thing seems they probably had it before being at school.

"The whole thing about washing your hands, that's fine for adults, kids it's hard to police and so it spreads rapidly."

SA Health said parents should keep their children home from school or childcare if they feel sick, until nausea stops.

"While most people are able to recover from gastro quickly, the illness can be more serious in the young and the elderly and may even require treatment in hospital," a SA Health spokesperson said.

Dr Pearce said a gastro outbreak is particularly concerning for nursing home residents.

"An outbreak in a nursing home can shut the nursing home down," he said.

"Put people with pre-existing illnesses at risk, when they get dehydrated puts a strain on their heart and their lungs, and puts their life at risk."