Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause the “stomach flu,” or gastroenteritis (GAS-tro-en-ter-I-tis), in people. The term norovirus was recently approved as the official name for this group of viruses.

When washing hands with soap and water, wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers — which don't require water — are an excellent alternative to soap and water. If you choose to use a commercially prepared hand sanitizer, make sure the product contains at least 60 percent alcohol.

When people think of housekeeping, they generally think of home. But germs live everywhere—including the office. With so many common spaces and shared equipment, germs and illness are often spread at work. To help people stay healthy at work and at home, the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) offers the following cleaning guidelines.

Get vaccinated. Vaccination is the best protection against contracting the flu. You need two vaccines to be fully protected this year. The seasonal flu vaccine is different from the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine. The CDC is encouraging people to get both vaccinations. Get the seasonal vaccination as soon as possible and get the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccination as soon as it is available in early fall.