TY - JOUR
T1 - Risks associated with animal-assisted intervention programs
T2 - A literature review: AAI Risk Literature Review
AU - Dalton, Kathryn R.
AU - Waite, Kaitlin B.
AU - Ruble, Kathy
AU - Carroll, Karen C.
AU - DeLone, Alexandra
AU - Frankenfield, Pam
AU - Serpell, James A.
AU - Thorpe, Roland J.
AU - Morris, Daniel O.
AU - Agnew, Jacqueline
AU - Rubenstein, Ronald C.
AU - Davis, Meghan F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/5
Y1 - 2020/5
N2 - The benefits of animal-assisted interventions (AAI), to utilize companion animals as an adjunctive treatment modality, is well-established and a burgeoning research field. However, few studies have evaluated the potential hazards of these programs, such as the potential for therapy animals to transfer hospital-associated pathogens between individuals and the hospital environment. Here we review the current literature on the possible risks of hospital-based AAI programs, including zoonotic pathogen transmission. We identified twenty-nine articles encompassing reviews of infection control guidelines and epidemiological studies on zoonotic pathogen prevalence in AAI. We observed substantial heterogeneity in infection control practices among hospital AAI programs. Few data confirmed pathogen transmission between therapy animals and patients. Given AAI's known benefits, we recommend that future research utilize a One Health framework to evaluate microbial dynamics among therapy animals, patients, and hospital environments. This framework may best promote safe practices to ensure the sustainability of these valuable AAI programs.
AB - The benefits of animal-assisted interventions (AAI), to utilize companion animals as an adjunctive treatment modality, is well-established and a burgeoning research field. However, few studies have evaluated the potential hazards of these programs, such as the potential for therapy animals to transfer hospital-associated pathogens between individuals and the hospital environment. Here we review the current literature on the possible risks of hospital-based AAI programs, including zoonotic pathogen transmission. We identified twenty-nine articles encompassing reviews of infection control guidelines and epidemiological studies on zoonotic pathogen prevalence in AAI. We observed substantial heterogeneity in infection control practices among hospital AAI programs. Few data confirmed pathogen transmission between therapy animals and patients. Given AAI's known benefits, we recommend that future research utilize a One Health framework to evaluate microbial dynamics among therapy animals, patients, and hospital environments. This framework may best promote safe practices to ensure the sustainability of these valuable AAI programs.
KW - Animal-assisted interventions
KW - Hospital infection control
KW - Hospital-associated infections
KW - Zoonotic infections
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85082199852&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101145
DO - 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101145
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32379677
AN - SCOPUS:85082199852
SN - 1744-3881
VL - 39
JO - Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
JF - Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
M1 - 101145
ER -