The Health Protection Agency has stated that soap and water cannot be replaced with hand gels and wipes.

Easter weekend is here and families will make a visit to open farms and the warning comes just before this by the HPA.

The agency stated that there are not many risks of getting unwell due to farm visits but still these petting farm visits have been linked to gastrointestinal disease. Animal droppings are a major cause of infection as they release germs.

People often, especially kids, put their hands into their mouths, germs can be ingested.

Agency stated, “To reduce the risk of illness, both adults and children should thoroughly wash their hands using soap and water after they have handled animals or touched surfaces at the farm and always before eating or drinking. Hand gels can't remove contamination in the manner that soap and water can.”

Proper hygiene has to be maintained if germs have to be kept at bay. Washing hands with water and soap helps in removing a majority of germs so that infections can be avoided easily.