The study is ongoing, and to date, one dog has been documented to have acquired MRSA during visitation with a colonized individual. “The concern is that if the dog is colonized and seeing other patients in the hospital … what's the risk for transmission,” he said.
When it comes to MRSA and potential transmission, different species have different issues, Dr. Weese said. With horses, there is concern about nasal/facial contamination, fecal contamination, and the greater potential for international movement.
With household pets—dogs, cats, and hamsters, among others—the degree, duration, and intensity of contact is the primary concern. “There's a lot of high-level contact within the household, creating the chance for transmission,” he said.
As a general rule, physicians “need to know what's going on in the household with pets,” he said. Find out if there are pets and how many, and if the pets are healthy. It's important to reinforce the importance of hand hygiene for people with pets, especially if the pet is sick.
It's also important to consider pets in the household if a patient has an otherwise unexplained MRSA infection or recurrent, persistent infections.
“Infection control measures are the key” to prevent household transmission of MRSA between pets and people, Dr. Weese said. Animals appear to eradicate MRSA colonizations on their own in most situations, he noted.