Infection Prevention and Control Programs at Avma-accredited Veterinary Teaching Hospitals

Abstract: Background – Biosecurity programs are essential in veterinary teaching hospitals (VTHs). While general recommendations are well known, their practical implementation is a challenge. Hypothesis/Objectives – To describe recent infection and prevention control practices and compare with previous results. Animals – 18 biosecurity experts at 17 AVMA-accredited VTHs. Methods – Cross-sectional study. An online survey was submitted to each institution between September 2023 and December 2024. Results – Outbreaks of nosocomial infections and restricted patient admissions in the past 5 years were reported respectively in 9 and 8 of 15 VTH. Six of 9 VTH reported more than 1 episode: Salmonella was the most frequent agent in large animals, and multi-drug resistant bacteria in small animals. Environmental tests are done routinely at various frequencies in 11 of 16 VTH: Salmonella, CRE, MRSA, and MRSP are the most commonly reported bacteria actively tested. A majority of institutions (10/16) routinely test animals to detect contagious agents: most frequently Salmonella in equines and carbapenems-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in small animals. In 2 of 15 VTH, the nosocomial infection rates are monitored over time. All respondents reported having a committee that oversees the program, and written policy documents. Just over half (7/13) of the institutions have an antimicrobial stewardship committee. Conclusions and clinical importance – In the context of scarce evidence-based information, sharing local practices is useful. The structure of the programs is evolving, but there is heterogeneity in protocols, data collection and reporting, and surveillance tools. (Comparisons with previous studies are underway, Benedict JAVMA 2008)