Currently there are no specific guidelines available to help us formulate consistent pet visitation policies. However, Canadian guidelines are being developed and should be available shortly. Until they are published, a sensible approach to pet visitation can be found in the CDC’s MMWR, June 6, 2003 Guidelines for Environmental and Infection Control in Health Care Facilities (available on-line at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5210a1.htm). This is an excellent place to start when thinking about should be in a visiting pet policy.

Animals can transmit both zoonotic diseases (e.g. leptospirosis) as well as "human” pathogens such as MRSA and C. difficile. You are right to be concerned about possible infection control risks.

Some general principles to consider when formulating an infection control policy around visiting pets include:

• Enforce good hand hygiene before and after any contact with an animal.
• Restrict visiting animals to "normal” pets, i.e. cats and dogs. Do not allow other animals such as snakes, birds, and non-human primates to visit (yes, there have been requests for such pets to be allowed access!).
• All animals should have a clean bill of health issued by a veterinarian. They should be fully vaccinated, have been checked for parasites, and have received recent treatment for intestinal parasites.
• Prior to visiting, all animals should be groomed in order to minimize shedding of hair and dander while in the health care facility.
• Contact with saliva, dander, urine and feces should be minimized.
• If an animal shows any tendency to scratch or bite, it should immediately be banned from the facility.
• Rooms where animals have been visiting should be cleaned afterwards.