Dirty mops have been blamed for a norovirus outbreak in hospitals in the U.K.'s north Cumbria region, according to an article on the News & Star website.
Cleaning staff are reusing mops contaminated with norovirus, according to hospital officials.
There were a number of contributory factors, but those felt to be most pertinent were the need for greater monitoring and assurance regarding cleaning and reinforcing good practice among staff, and a failure to achieve high cleaning and waste management standards, the hospitals said.
Other areas of concern included staff not closing cubicle doors on patients with confirmed norovirus and delays in isolating symptomatic patients.