Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, have conducted a study that attempts to identify risk factors for widespread norovirus outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). The use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS) in place of soap and water in nursing homes is one of the greatest institutional risk factors for the spread of noroviruses and can lead to outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis.
The study was presented at Preventive Medicine 2011: Annual Meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine.
For more information about this study, read the entire article at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/737884.