Research Highlights: Evaluation of the Efficacy of Disinfectant Footmats for the Reduction of Bacterial Contamination on Footwear in a Large Animal Veterinary Hospital

Hornig, K.J., Burgess, B.A., Saklou, N.T., Johnson, V., Malmlov, A., Van Metre, D.C., Morley, P.S., Byers, S.R.

Infection control is critical to providing high-quality patient care as well as maintaining a safe working environment for personnel in veterinary hospitals. Many North American veterinary teaching hospitals (VTHs) utilize footbaths and footmats at entrances and key control points throughout the veterinary hospital in an endeavor to decrease trafficking of pathogenic microorganisms throughout the facility via contaminated footwear. Studies have shown that disinfectant footmats and footbaths may be helpful, but are not absolute methods, for eliminating contamination on footwear in veterinary hospital environments. While disinfectant footmats may be considered reliable in decreasing footwear contamination, the magnitude of these decreases is limited.

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