title: Impact of disinfectant-filled foot mats on mechanical transmission of bacteria in a veterinary teaching hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of disinfectant-filled foot mats at reducing tracking of Salmonella enterica and overall bacterial contamination on floors in a veterinary teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study. Samples-Bacteria collected from floors before and after placement of disinfectant-filled foot mats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Foot mats filled with a phenolic-based disinfectant were placed at key transition areas in common-use corridors between the large animal hospital (LAH) and small animal hospital in a veterinary medical teaching hospital. Microbiological samples were collected for total bacterial counts and for the presence of S enterica at 14 designated sample sites in the veterinary medical teaching hospital. Samples were collected at regular intervals for 7 months before mat placement and for 13 months after mat placement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median numbers of aerobic bacteria isolated before and after disinfectant mat placement were not significantly different for most sites sampled. For 3 of the 4 transition areas between the LAH and connecting common-use corridor, there was a significant difference in median bacterial counts on either side of the threshold. This difference was significant regardless of whether a disinfectant mat was present or not. Salmonella enterica isolates were cultured from several sites in the LAH and sites outside the LAH, irrespective of the presence of a disinfectant mat.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  -Disinfectant-filled mats may not be uniformly effective in reducing the bacterial load on floors or in reducing mechanical tracking of S enterica from contaminated areas in a veterinary teaching hospital. Further studies are needed to determine effective measures to reduce mechanical transmission of bacteria on footwear in veterinary hospitals.
authors: Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA. hartmanf@vetmed.wisc.edu
authors: Faye A
authors: FA
authors: Hartmann
authors: Allison F
authors: AF
authors: Dusick
authors: Karen M
authors: KM
authors: Young
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D006762:Hospitals, Animal / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants