Vets fail to protect themselves from infection

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-5-13 15:19:40

Almost 50 percent of veterinarians have contracted infections from animals during their career, according to research led by the University of Sydney released Monday.

While most Australian vets surveyed used masks, gowns and gloves to prevent infection during postmortems, surgery and dental procedures, the study found that many did not use adequate protection when treating animals with signs of respiratory, neurological, gastrointestinal and dermatological disease.

"There is an urgent need for our profession to better educate vets about protecting themselves, and by extension the general public, against contracting infection from animals," said Dr Navneet Dhand, from the University's Faculty of Veterinary Science.

Furthermore, 21.1 percent did not have staff eating areas separate from the animals, and 34.8 percent did not have isolation units for animals with contagious or infectious diseases.

About 60 percent of workplaces surveyed did not make use of national industry standard infection control kits designed to protect staff from infection.

"The results of the study are concerning. Our profession appears to have a complacent attitude towards the use of personal protection," Dr Dhand said.

"It is worth remembering that zoonotic (contracted from animals) diseases, such as equine Hendra virus and avian influenza represent 75 percent of all emerging infectious diseases for humans."

"Given they spend much of their professional lives working with sick animals, vets are likely to be among the first people to encounter animals infected with zoonotic pathogens. In that sense their vigilance has implications not only for their own health but also the health and safety of their employees and clients and for that of the wider community."

According to the researchers, veterinarian's perceptions and workplace culture were the biggest influences on whether they used protective equipment, with uptake often well below the minimal levels recommended by the national industry.

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