title: Environmental cleaning and disinfection.
abstract: The guidelines in this article provide veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary health care workers with an overview of evidence-based recommendations for the best practices associated with environmental cleaning and disinfection of a veterinary clinic that deals with small animals. Hospital-associated infections and the control and prevention programs necessary to alleviate them are addressed from an environmental perspective. Measures of hospital cleaning and disinfection include understanding mechanisms and types of contamination in veterinary settings, recognizing areas of potential concern, addressing appropriate decontamination techniques and selection of disinfectants, the management of potentially contaminated equipment, laundry, and waste management, and environmental surveillance strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Studies, Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Traverse
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, 382 West Street Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA. Electronic address: helenwa@vet.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aceto
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006762:Hospitals, Animal
keywords: Environmental contamination; Infection prevention; Small animal; Surveillance; Veterinary clinic