WELLINGTON, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of norovirus at an Auckland geriatric home was suspected of killing two people and putting more than 12 in hospital, the New Zealand Herald daily reported on Thursday.

    Health authorities shut part of St Andrews Village in the east Auckland suburb of Glendowie -- home to more than 180 elderly residents.

    Auckland Regional Public Health Service clinical director Julia Peters said everything was being done to contain the spread of the highly contagious illness.

    Peters said outbreaks of norovirus were not unusual, but deaths were uncommon.

    The newspaper said Institute of Environmental Science and Research figures showed 10 people died of the virus last year.

    An outbreak of gastroenteritis which had closed the hospital section of the center to visitors, was probably caused by norovirus, the public health service said.

    Peters said the two people who died were in hospital with other illnesses and it was not confirmed norovirus had killed them.

    Peters said steps to manage the outbreak included isolating affected patients, making sure hand hygiene was thorough, and extra cleaning of surfaces.