Dog sniffs out superbug at hospital in Vancouver
VANCOUVER — An English springer spaniel and his handler have been so successful at detecting a superbug at Vancouver General Hospital that a second dog is now being trained.
Angus, who started his dog detective work at the hospital sniffing out Clostridium difficile just months ago, is getting a partner named Dodger, another springer spaniel rescued by Angus’s handler, Teresa Zurberg.
Angus uses his hyperacute scent-tracking abilities to find the most minute reservoirs of the superbug in fecal matter that linger even after hospital rooms have been cleaned. C. difficile is a leading cause of potentially deadly, infectious diarrhea in hospitals and residential-care facilities.
On Monday, B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake gave Angus his “working dog” badge after he passed his probationary period. The former veterinarian also hid a C. difficile specimen under a stretcher in a vacant hall to see how long it would take Angus to find it. When the rambunctious dog entered the area, his snout led him directly to the item under the stretcher in less than 10 seconds.
Angus has found C. difficile on about 100 occasions since he started work at VGH last summer. He finds it in patient rooms and other areas that need more cleaning. As a reward, he asks for nothing more than a few kibbles or tug-of-war playtime.
After Angus signals his find, disinfection staff employ an ultraviolet light disinfection robot that, when turned on, can eradicate 99.9 per cent of C. difficile spores. The dog detective even has his own Facebook page.
Dr. Elizabeth Bryce, head of infection control at Vancouver Coastal Health, said Angus’s discoveries are helping improve patient education and making hospital staff aware of which hygiene policies and practices need to change.
Bryce said there have been no problems having Angus in the hospital; he has become a purely positive asset. His success is even leading to the development of a new infection control manual.
In one case, Angus smelled C. difficile on the denim jeans of a patient being discharged from VGH. He had been admitted to hospital with diarrhea and had brought the bug into hospital with him.
Indeed, 28 per cent of C. difficile cases are what are known as community-acquired, as opposed to hospital-acquired.
Bryce said this case shows that patients who have diarrhea should, upon hospital admission, have their clothes sealed in a bag and removed from hospital to prevent contamination and the spread of the superbug.
Angus, and soon, Dodger, are part of a $150,000 hospital-funded program that is seeking private donors to expand. The budget covers the costs of dog treats, trainer’s fees, extra costs for the trio of ultraviolet light disinfection robots used to decontaminate surfaces, the new manual and a website to help educate the public. Bryce said since Angus started work at VGH, it has become one of the “top users of UV disinfection in North America.
“Angus has shown us that he is very capable at finding C. diff on surfaces, equipment and devices that health-care providers and others have missed. This doesn’t mean the hospital isn’t being cleaned properly. No one is perfect.”
Lake said the program is proving its value and might one day spread to other hospitals and health regions.