title: Veterinary hospital surveillance systems.
abstract: We cannot manage what we do not measure. In order to provide optimal patient care appropriate effort must be given to the prevention of infectious disease transmission through the development and maintenance of an infection control program that is founded on results obtained through organized surveillance efforts. Every facility is unique - thus efforts should be tailored to distinctive physical attributes and organizational limitations of individual practices. There is not only an ethical responsibility to do so, but there is a legal responsibility to meet the minimum standard of practice with respect to veterinary infection prevention and control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, 100 Sandy Hall (MC0395), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Electronic address: burgessb@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Brandy A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Colorado State University, 1678 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA.
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Morley
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring / Q000662:veterinary*; D006762:Hospitals, Animal / Q000592:standards; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards
keywords: Infection control; Surveillance systems; Veterinary medicine