On Places-II: Emerging Exposures and Health Effects in the Hospital Environment
Year: 2019
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: S03: One Health: On animals, humans and the environment, Room 417, Floor 4, August 26, 2019, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM One Health studies examine the interplay between people, animals, and their shared environment in relation to health outcomes, and this nexus is particularly relevant in the context of microbial sharing. One environment that has not been extensively evaluated via a One Health lens is the healthcare setting. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities include immunocompromised patients, a group particularly susceptible to drug-resistant pathogens that may be fostered by the patient population and antimicrobial selective pressure that typifies hospital environments. Animal-assisted interventions (AAI), or the use of companion animals as an adjunctive therapy modality, are a noteworthy example of an important One Health challenge within the hospital environment. There are substantial benefits of AAI to patients in the form of reduced anxiety and stress, reduced need for pain medications, and improved clinical outcomes. However, little is known about the potential for therapy animals to participate in pathogen transfer between patients, and whether this needs to be addressed explicitly in hospital protocols. An additional component of AAI that has not been explored is the potential for other microorganisms, including beneficial commensals, to be transmitted between therapy animals and patients, which could then influence an individual’s microbiome. The presence of pets in the home is associated with increases in microbial diversity, and children with early-life exposure to pets, particularly dogs, are at a decreased risk of developing allergic diseases. What is unknown is whether this same phenomenon will occur for therapy animals who only have brief interactions with patients, and whether this will confer resistance to colonization of drug-resistant pathogens or other beneficial effects. Therefore, this talk will summarize what is known about microbial transmission in hospital-based AAI programs, including findings from a pilot study involving decolonization of the therapy dog, and will postulate future directions for One Health work involving AAI.
Source: Environmental Epidemiology
Authors: Dalton K, Ruble K, Carroll K, Grice E, Davis M
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,200
OpenAlex ID: W2982270010