Increased hand sanitizer use blamed for rise in gastro outbreaks Increased hand sanitizer use b... Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are thought to be less effective in removing norovirus than handwashing with soap and water 1/1 Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are thought to be less effective in removing norovirus than handwashing with soap and water A number of countries are reporting increasing rates of viral gastroenteritis over recent months, and experts suggest greater use of hand sanitizers, known to have little effect on pathogens such as norovirus, may be partly responsible. New data released by health authorities in the Australian state of Victoria is reporting a four-fold increase in gastroenteritis outbreaks across childcare facilities over the first few months of 2021, compared to the five-year average. Other countries such as New Zealand and Taiwan have also reported spikes in norovirus outbreaks over recent months.