Staphylococcal control in the veterinary hospital.

Staphylococcal infections are common in veterinary dermatology patients, as are patients whose health status places them at increased risk of staphylococcal infection. The rapid emergence and dissemination of meticillin-resistant staphylococci has had significant impacts on management of infections and also increased concerns about transmission of staphylococci between animals, from animals to humans and from humans to animals. The increasing incidence and implications of staphylococcal infections, particularly meticillin-resistant staphylococcal infections, is leading to more interest in infection control in veterinary hospitals as a means to help reduce the impact of these significant pathogens. Infection control is a series of principles and practices that can and should be implemented by every veterinary hospital to improve patient care, protect personnel and meet the increasing expectations. Fortunately, general concepts of infection control are both simple and practical, and application of a basic infection control programme requires limited time, effort or training. With an understanding of some basic concepts and use of available resources, development of an effective infection control programme is within the reach of any facility.