Animals in Healthcare Facilities: Recommendations to Minimize Potential Risks
@article{Murthy2015AnimalsIH, title={Animals in Healthcare Facilities: Recommendations to Minimize Potential Risks}, author={Rekha K. Murthy and Gonzalo M. Bearman and Sherrill Brown and Kristina K Bryant and Raymond Chinn and Angela Hewlett and B Glenn George and Ellie J. C. Goldstein and Galit Holzmann-Pazgal and Mark E. Rupp and Timothy L. Wiemken and Jeffrey Scott Weese and David J Weber}, journal={Infection Control \&\#x0026; Hospital Epidemiology}, year={2015}, volume={36}, pages={495 - 516} }
Animals may be present in healthcare facilities for multiple reasons. Although specific laws regarding the use of service animals in public facilities were established in the United States in 1990, the widespread presence of animals in hospitals, including service animals to assist in patient therapy and research, has resulted in the increased presence of animals in acute care hospitals and ambulatory medical settings. The role of animals in the transmission of zoonotic pathogens and cross…
89 Citations
Animals in Healthcare Settings
- Medicine
- 2015
The controversies related to animals in healthcare with respect to infection prevention are reviewed, potential steps for mitigation of risks and areas for future study are identified, and updated information is provided where available.
One Health in hospitals: how understanding the dynamics of people, animals, and the hospital built-environment can be used to better inform interventions for antimicrobial-resistant gram-positive infections
- Medicine, BiologyAntimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control
- 2020
A One Health framework (human, animal, and environmental health) is used to explain the epidemiology, demonstrate key knowledge gaps in infection prevention policy, and explore improvements to control Gram-positive pathogens in the healthcare environment.
Canine-Assisted Interventions in Hospitals: Best Practices for Maximizing Human and Canine Safety
- MedicineFrontiers in Veterinary Science
- 2021
The evidence, issues, and challenges to establishing and maintaining safe and effective programs for humans and animals are described and recommendations are made for best practices based on the existing scientific evidence.
The Use of Dogs in Hospital Settings
- Medicine
- 2015
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), over 35 million people are hospitalized in the U.S. every year and many hospitals across the country have incorporated animal programs, such as “animalassisted therapy”, to give patients the opportunity to interact safely with dogs and to make the hospital environment more comfortable and less stressful.
Infection Prevention and Control in Pediatric Ambulatory Settings
- MedicinePediatrics
- 2017
The importance of public health interventions, including vaccination for patients and health care personnel, and outline the responsibilities of the health care provider related to prompt public health notification for specific reportable diseases are outlined.
Evaluation of Risk of Zoonotic Pathogen Transmission in a University-Based Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) Program
- MedicineFront. Vet. Sci.
- 2019
The results of this study support prior findings that animals participating in AAI can be asymptomatic carriers of zoonotic organisms and adherence to infection control practices was lacking among this group of handlers.
Risks Associated with Animal-Assisted Intervention Programs: A Literature Review
- MedicinemedRxiv
- 2020
Given AAI's known benefits, it is recommended that future research utilize a One Health framework to evaluate microbial dynamics among therapy animals, patients, and hospital environments, to ensure the sustainability of these valuable AAI programs.
Infection Control and the Need for Family-/Child-Centered Care
- MedicineHealthcare-Associated Infections in Children
- 2018
In this chapter, authors consider infection control and the benefits of FCC, family and sibling visitation, the use of playrooms, animals in healthcare settings including animal-assisted interventions, the potential adverse effects of infection control practices, and strategies to mitigate these impacts.
Animal‐assisted interventions: A national survey of health and safety policies in hospitals, eldercare facilities, and therapy animal organizations
- MedicineAmerican journal of infection control
- 2017
Health Benefits and Risks of Pets in Nursing Homes: A Survey of Facilities in Ohio.
- MedicineJournal of gerontological nursing
- 2018
Best practice guidelines and policies should be developed and implemented in nursing homes to address requirements for different animal ownership models, range of animal species, and staff knowledge.
References
SHOWING 1-10 OF 117 REFERENCES
Guidelines for animal-assisted interventions in health care facilities.
- MedicineAmerican journal of infection control
- 2008
Compendium of measures to prevent disease associated with animals in public settings, 2011: National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc.
- MedicineMMWR. Recommendations and reports : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports
- 2011
The recommendation to wash hands is the most important for reducing the risk for disease transmission associated with animals in public settings, and other important recommendations are that venues prohibit food in animal areas and include transition areas betweenAnimal areas and nonanimal areas, and animals be properly cared for and managed.
Incidence of acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, and other health-care-associated pathogens by dogs that participate in animal-assisted interventions.
- Medicine, BiologyJournal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- 2009
Among dogs that visited human health-care facilities, those that licked patients or accepted treats during visits were more likely to be positive for MRSA and C difficile than were dogs that did not lick patients or accept treats.
Rates of Hospital-Associated Respiratory Infections and Associated Pathogens in a Regional Burn Center, 2008–2012
- MedicineInfection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
- 2015
A retrospective cohort analysis of patients admitted to a large regional BICU to examine rates of hospital-associated respiratory infections and associated pathogens and compared the incidence of respiratory infection and frequency of multidrug-resistant pathogens in the BICu to those of other ICUs in the hospital.
Prevalence of zoonotic agents in dogs visiting hospitalized people in Ontario: implications for infection control.
- Medicine, BiologyThe Journal of hospital infection
- 2006
Reports of zoonotic disease outbreaks associated with animal exhibits and availability of recommendations for preventing zoonotic disease transmission from animals to people in such settings.
- MedicineJournal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- 2004
Only a handful of states have written guidelines for preventing zoonotic disease transmission in animal exhibition venues, and published recommendations currently available focus on preventing enteric diseases and largely do not address other zoonosis diseases or prevention of bite wounds.
Healthcare-Associated Myiasis: Prevention and Intervention
- MedicineInfection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
- 2005
Following the guidelines presented in this document, healthcare facilities should be able to reduce the likelihood of healthcare-associated myiasis and effectively intervene when such events occur.
Viral infections in workers in hospital and research laboratory settings: a comparative review of infection modes and respective biosafety aspects
- MedicineInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases
- 2011
Exposure to nontraditional pets at home and to animals in public settings: risks to children.
- MedicinePediatrics
- 2008
Pediatricians, veterinarians, and other health care professionals can provide advice on selection of appropriate pets as well as prevention of disease transmission from nontraditional pets and when children contact animals in public settings.
Considering Q fever when working with laboratory sheep
- Biology, MedicineLab Animal
- 2010
Potential causes, transmission and manifestations of Q fever in humans and other animals are described and strategies for preventing the spread are discussed.