Microbial Sharing between Pediatric Patients and Therapy Dogs during Hospital Animal-Assisted Intervention Programs
Microbial sharing between humans and animals has been demonstrated in a variety of settings. However, the extent of microbial sharing that occurs within the healthcare setting during animal-assisted intervention programs is unknown. Understanding microbial transmission between patients and therapy d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/5/1054 |
| _version_ | 1797534246223478784 |
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| author | Kathryn R. Dalton Kathy Ruble Laurel E. Redding Daniel O. Morris Noel T. Mueller Roland J. Thorpe Jacqueline Agnew Karen C. Carroll Paul J. Planet Ronald C. Rubenstein Allen R. Chen Elizabeth A. Grice Meghan F. Davis |
| author_facet | Kathryn R. Dalton Kathy Ruble Laurel E. Redding Daniel O. Morris Noel T. Mueller Roland J. Thorpe Jacqueline Agnew Karen C. Carroll Paul J. Planet Ronald C. Rubenstein Allen R. Chen Elizabeth A. Grice Meghan F. Davis |
| author_sort | Kathryn R. Dalton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microbial sharing between humans and animals has been demonstrated in a variety of settings. However, the extent of microbial sharing that occurs within the healthcare setting during animal-assisted intervention programs is unknown. Understanding microbial transmission between patients and therapy dogs can provide important insights into potential health benefits for patients, in addition to addressing concerns regarding potential pathogen transmission that limits program utilization. This study evaluated for potential microbial sharing between pediatric patients and therapy dogs and tested whether patient–dog contact level and a dog decolonization protocol modified this sharing. Patients, therapy dogs, and the hospital environment were sampled before and after every group therapy session and samples underwent 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize microbial communities. Both patients and dogs experienced changes in the relative abundance and overall diversity of their nasal microbiome, suggesting that the exchange of microorganisms had occurred. Increased contact was associated with greater sharing between patients and therapy dogs, as well as between patients. A topical chlorhexidine-based dog decolonization was associated with decreased microbial sharing between therapy dogs and patients but did not significantly affect sharing between patients. These data suggest that the therapy dog is both a potential source of and a vehicle for the transfer of microorganisms to patients but not necessarily the only source. The relative contribution of other potential sources (e.g., other patients, the hospital environment) should be further explored to determine their relative importance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:26:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71b30b8a093741cb9aa39a75ba84d586 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:26:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-71b30b8a093741cb9aa39a75ba84d5862023-11-21T19:36:14ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072021-05-0195105410.3390/microorganisms9051054Microbial Sharing between Pediatric Patients and Therapy Dogs during Hospital Animal-Assisted Intervention ProgramsKathryn R. Dalton0Kathy Ruble1Laurel E. Redding2Daniel O. Morris3Noel T. Mueller4Roland J. Thorpe5Jacqueline Agnew6Karen C. Carroll7Paul J. Planet8Ronald C. Rubenstein9Allen R. Chen10Elizabeth A. Grice11Meghan F. Davis12Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartments of Oncology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USADepartment of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Pathology, Division of Medical Microbiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Pulmonary Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USADepartments of Oncology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADepartment of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USAMicrobial sharing between humans and animals has been demonstrated in a variety of settings. However, the extent of microbial sharing that occurs within the healthcare setting during animal-assisted intervention programs is unknown. Understanding microbial transmission between patients and therapy dogs can provide important insights into potential health benefits for patients, in addition to addressing concerns regarding potential pathogen transmission that limits program utilization. This study evaluated for potential microbial sharing between pediatric patients and therapy dogs and tested whether patient–dog contact level and a dog decolonization protocol modified this sharing. Patients, therapy dogs, and the hospital environment were sampled before and after every group therapy session and samples underwent 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize microbial communities. Both patients and dogs experienced changes in the relative abundance and overall diversity of their nasal microbiome, suggesting that the exchange of microorganisms had occurred. Increased contact was associated with greater sharing between patients and therapy dogs, as well as between patients. A topical chlorhexidine-based dog decolonization was associated with decreased microbial sharing between therapy dogs and patients but did not significantly affect sharing between patients. These data suggest that the therapy dog is both a potential source of and a vehicle for the transfer of microorganisms to patients but not necessarily the only source. The relative contribution of other potential sources (e.g., other patients, the hospital environment) should be further explored to determine their relative importance.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/5/1054microbiomeanimal-assisted interventionshospital-associated pathogenspatient safety |
| spellingShingle | Kathryn R. Dalton Kathy Ruble Laurel E. Redding Daniel O. Morris Noel T. Mueller Roland J. Thorpe Jacqueline Agnew Karen C. Carroll Paul J. Planet Ronald C. Rubenstein Allen R. Chen Elizabeth A. Grice Meghan F. Davis Microbial Sharing between Pediatric Patients and Therapy Dogs during Hospital Animal-Assisted Intervention Programs Microorganisms microbiome animal-assisted interventions hospital-associated pathogens patient safety |
| title | Microbial Sharing between Pediatric Patients and Therapy Dogs during Hospital Animal-Assisted Intervention Programs |
| title_full | Microbial Sharing between Pediatric Patients and Therapy Dogs during Hospital Animal-Assisted Intervention Programs |
| title_fullStr | Microbial Sharing between Pediatric Patients and Therapy Dogs during Hospital Animal-Assisted Intervention Programs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microbial Sharing between Pediatric Patients and Therapy Dogs during Hospital Animal-Assisted Intervention Programs |
| title_short | Microbial Sharing between Pediatric Patients and Therapy Dogs during Hospital Animal-Assisted Intervention Programs |
| title_sort | microbial sharing between pediatric patients and therapy dogs during hospital animal assisted intervention programs |
| topic | microbiome animal-assisted interventions hospital-associated pathogens patient safety |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/5/1054 |
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