MANAGEMENT at Dunmunkle Lodge Hostel has closed the Minyip centre to visitors after four patients reported symptoms of gastroenteritis.
It has led to a warning from Wimmera nursing homes for people to stay away from the elderly when unwell.
Hostel services co-ordinator Barb Whiteford said the nursing home was closed about 6am on Thursday morning.
"We have only had four residents who reported symptoms that were isolated and not ongoing," she said.
"We are isolating our facility and residents purely as a precautionary measure.
"Gastro can have such a catastrophic effect on the frail and aged and it can cause acute illness or even death."
Ms Whiteford warned people to be careful not to pass on contagious infections to family or friends.
"If people have a sniff, snivel or unwell feeling they should not visit their family members," she said.
"It is important that the community and families work with the nursing homes to ensure these infections don't get spread. We are also very vigilant about our hand hygiene, which also limits the spread."
Dimboola's Allambi Hostel Home for the Aged clinical co-ordinator Anmaree McAuliffe said Wimmera residents often used commonsense when unwell.
"Often people will ring and say that they are unwell so they won't come in, because being in a small community it is easy to let people know," she said.