Contamination of Pet Therapy Dogs with MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

This report is a study of 26 pet therapy dog-handler teams, 12 of which visited acute care and 14 of which visited long-term care facilities in southern Ontario, Canada. One (4%) dog (a Greyhound) acquired C. difficile on its paws during its visit to an acute care facility. The isolate possessed the genes for all three toxins and was identified as an epidemic strain (NAP1/ribotype 027). MRSA was detected on the hands of the investigator after petting a Pug that had visited a long-term care facility. Although only 13 (50%) handlers were observed to practice hand hygiene at least once during the visit, none of the handlers had positive test results for any of the pathogens. The results strongly suggested that dogs became contaminated with pathogens during the visits. The dog that acquired C. difficile on its paws had been encouraged to ‘shake paws’ with patients during the visit. The dog that acquired MRSA had been repeatedly placed on beds and was kissed on the head by two patients. J Hosp Infect. 2009;72:268-9.