Surveillance of healthcare-associated (nosocomial) infections within veterinary practices is minimal with many practices not reviewing culture and sensitivity results. There is more discussion about the need to understand pathogens in veterinary practice. This recent publication highlights the need for more targeted environmental surveillance in small animal and equine practices so that infection prevention and control (IPC) practices can be improved.
My take on this – surveillance is essential but we also need to have an understanding of IPC principles so that they can be applied correctly. This opinion piece identifies the many similarities of how multi-drug resistant organisms develop in human and animal healthcare facilities, yet, IPC training and education of veterinary staff is many years behind human healthcare.